Not Yet
by The Dark Knight's Revenge
Summary: Jyn finds herself pregnant after a loveless affair with Cassian based on mutual satisfaction and surviving the early days of the rebellion. When things go awry on a mission, Jyn is forced to choose between her loyalty to the cause and her child, and Cassian is caught in between with no knowledge of Jyn's situation.
1. Chapter 1

Jyn stared at the medical alert on her holopad in numb disbelief. Pregnant. _Pregnant._ She hadn't even thought it possible. She had thought that after all the things she'd endured over the last two decades would have rendered her barren as a desert.

But it put her mind at rest to finally put cause to effect, why her balance had been off the last few flights and her energy levels had been so low.

After that, though... Her brain was awash in panic. They were only a matter of months from moving out of their base on the isolated Hoth and onto a more permanent base somewhere yet to be disclosed. Rumor had it that the Empire was planning something big, but no details were known. Her and Cassian had been sent out on recon missions nearly every other day the past few weeks without rest, trying to find out as much information as possible before they made their move.

The doorbell sounded at the door to her private bunk, breaking Jyn out of her thoughts. She hastily shoved the still-illuminated holopad under her pillow and and composed herself. She had little doubt of who it was.

"Can you believe it? Dios mio, fuck it all. Another mission. After we both got in just hours ago from those cargo busts!" Cassian Andor stomped in, filling the space with his presence. Jyn watched him pace her quarters, spewing expletives at the Resistance, the Empire, the Princess, the Ships, anything.

"When do we leave?" She finally asked.

"Tomorrow, Force willing. They have to repair the ship and get _Skywalker's_ opinion on the plan." He failed to hide his obvious disgust for the other man.

"Luke is key in getting the pieces in place for the next attack. Don't behave like neither of you have served the rebellion well." Jyn said firmly.

Cassian stared at her, and for a second she thought he'd yell something back, but his shoulders slumped.

"You're right. I am doing my part and he is doing his. For the greater good."

"For the greater good." Jyn echoed. Her stomach did an uneasy flip as her mind returned to her predicament.

Cassian must have noticed the shift in her attitude, but it only darkened his face momentarily before he dragged his hand through his hair.

"I should be seeing to the repairs. I'll send someone for you when the debriefing is decided."

"Of course." Jyn replied. Cassian stared at her one moment more, then turned and left as quickly as he'd come in.

Jyn slumped against the back wall of the bunk, staring blankly at the wall. Her fingers found the holopad again and her stomach flipped once more. The results of the bioscan put her at a mere 1.5 standard months. Barely a blip in the system. There was still time.

There was no doubt in her mind who the father was. That was the least of the problems she had. It was what the father would do when he found out that he had accidentally spawned a child out of wedlock or god forbid - _love -_ right in the middle of a god damn revolution.

After they had managed to survive Scariff by the skin of their teeth, they had gone from recovery to damn near drafted as the rebel alliance forged full steam ahead towards the destruction of the Empire's machine, that _death star_ that loomed on the horizon.

Cassian had enjoyed being thrown back into the fray. She thought that he kept the demons at bay by working harder for their final exorcism. Even though he wouldn't be the one to pull the trigger on the death star, he'd damn well make sure he had a hand in its destruction. He volunteered for any mission he wasn't already sent on, spending months at a time out in space. He'd come home and drink, tell her all sorts of tales from the mission, and then pick up and leave again.

But that was it. Just words in between missions.

She hadn't adjusted to the constant drafting. Seemed like every time she closed her eyes to sleep, she woke up to another summons from the Princess or Mon Mothma, and was in the back of a transport within hours. Sometimes with Cassian, more often not.

That was why the sudden moment of intimacy approximately 1.5 months ago had been a surprise. Now that it had happened more and more often, she suspected that she had become little more than a place for him to put his body and his words between missions. Everything he did, he did without any hint of care or consideration for her feelings.

Not that she complained. A relationship with Cassian would be... Complicated. And they didn't have time for complicated in the middle of a war.

But it was hard to ignore the sting in her chest sometimes, like now, when he came in, made a lot of noise, and left. He didn't ask how she was, how her part of the mission had gone. She had taken a couple blaster hits to the arm and spent the hours since their arrival with a bacta treatment in the medbay... which was how she found out that she was... _pregnant_.

Good god.

She would have to be more careful on this mission. No unnecessary risks, but Cassian couldn't notice that she was being conservative in her efforts. Normally she would be the first up for an ambush or solo mission, and Cassian knew that. She would have to be careful.

Her holopad beeped, startling her. It was a communication from Cassian. She was needed in the main hangar for the debriefing of their next mission.

 _I want to see you after._

That was Cassian's way of telling her that he wanted a quick fuck before they went wheels up. She'd gotten similar messages between missions, ever since the first time.

The first time had been an accident almost. They'd been drunk, and she had helped Cassian back to her room to save time. She had tossed him into the bunk and was going to take a long hot shower in the women's private room, but Cassian had grabbed her wrist, looking at her with his deep eyes.

" _Stay. Just tonight."_ He had said, pulling her to him. In her alcohol-induced state, she couldn't find the power to protest. It had been ages since she had felt arms around her, a man between her legs. At the time, it had seemed like a mutually beneficial situation. But as Cassian stilled above her and groaned his climax, she had heard him whisper _those words._ And knowing that he would only say them to her when drunk had been like a blaster to the chest.

Things had progressed from there. After every single mission, he would rage his frustrations about the progress of the rebellion and then find time to see her alone. But it was clear that it was nothing more than satisfying a need. He had trusted her with his life on Scariff, he trusted her silence when he spoke out of turn against his superiors, and he trusted her not to put a knife in his chest when he lay beside her in bed for those small amounts of time.

Jyn felt the same way, but always thought back to the first time. When he had said _those words._ She was sure they weren't hers to hear again. And now she was stuck with the consequences.

Pregnant. She still couldn't believe it.

Her holopad beeped again. Cassian was getting impatient, they were leaving soon.

Jyn wiped her recent messages, including the medalert, and stowed her holopad in her bedside drawer. She would dress quickly, get briefed, and then pray for a brief undressing. And she would not, under any circumstances, be telling Cassian about the situation. _Yet._


	2. Chapter 2

Jyn got halfway down the hallway before inexplicable nausea gripper her throat. She had to stop and lean against the wall, ignoring the questioning looks a couple cadets gave her on their jog by.

A few seconds of panicked silence, and the nausea eased, sitting in the back of her throat but allowing her to continue moving to the hangar.

Jyn's frown deepened. That was going to be a problem. There was only so much time she could pass morning sickness off as space sickness or exhaustion.

She emerged from the hallway into the wide hangar bay. She could see the knot of people gathered around the holo screen and realized that she was late. Damn Cassian...

She shuffled into the crowd, ignoring the nausea continuing to play in the back of her throat. She noticed that Cassian was staring at her hard across the the circle. She met his eyes and then looked away, pointedly fixing on the general speaking.

"Some of the fleet will be running distraction, some of you will begin phase one of arrival on Hoth, in the event that the Empire wizens up to our plans. Gold leader, you will take Skywalker and your team directly to the Death Star, your only hope is to have the best aim possible.

"Force willing, we can hit it." Luke Skywalker's young voice piped up from the front. Jyn's blood ran cold. They were assaulting the Death Star. The moment they had been preparing for was finally here. That was why the Rebellion was in such a hurry.

"Report to your team leaders for your exact assignments." The General said, and the crowd began to break up. Cassian made a beeline for Jyn.

"Cassian, I-"

"I have been moved to red squad." Cassian interrupted her.

Jyn's blood ran cold and nausea threatened its way to the top of her throat. She must have gone pale because Cassian moved in to grip her arms. She winced as the bandage over her blaster wounds shifted, but he didn't notice.

"You're upset that you won't be out there with me. I promise I'll fly true for the both of us. For Rogue One."

Jyn took a moment to process what he'd just said. She blinked. He'd mistaken her reaction for jealousy, not concern. He thought that she wanted to be up there with him. The exact opposite was true, but she couldn't damn well say it in the middle of the hangar, with tears threatening to burn their way out of her eyes.

"You're wrong." God, it was a fight to keep her voice level and low. "I think it is a good choice." Cassian's brow relaxed a little. She could see the cold thrill of excitement in his eyes. He was going to fucking relish every single second out there with the red team. It was what he'd been waiting for, biding his time in cargo busts for, anticipating the day the Alliance would take note of his piloting skills.

"I'll see you later." Cassian said under his breath, squaring his shoulders and moving to the red team roundup. Jyn forced herself not to turn and watch him go, just keep walking forwards to her group assignment.

"Erso, you'll be taking the second transport to Hoth while the fleet has the Empire distracted." Her team leader barked out. She nodded numbly. Equipment for the Alliance's new base. Simple enough. As long as the fleet did their job, she would be out of harm's way.

She ghosted her way through the rest of the briefing, then walked numbly to her quarters. She had an hour to get herself ready. It seemed like too much time.

Cassian wasn't waiting outside her door when she arrived, but she knew he'd be there soon. She had to pull this stupid dazed look off her face and do a better job of acting like she wasn't terrified for his safety to some measure...

She really only had time to stand in the middle of her dark room for about a minute before the doorpad whistled.

"Enter. Lights." She said, forcing her voice calm again. The lights flickered on, and Cassian's familiar boot treat entered the room.

"Can you believe it." His husky voice said. "On the red team for the assault on that bloody death machine."

Jyn forced herself to turn around, feeling completely disjointed.

"I'm happy for you, Cassian, I am."

"But."

His dark eyes were burning into hers. He was expecting her to criticize him.

"I want you to be careful." She said quietly. Cassian relaxed.

"I am sorry, I should not have angered so quickly." He came forward and bent to kiss her neck. "Of course I will be careful."

Jyn didn't believe it for a second. Cassian was a good man, but he would take any chance he could to be the hero of the Rebel Alliance again. Any further words would fall on deaf ears. So she closed her mouth. Cassian continued his ministrations on her neck, but it failed to excite her in any way. When he pulled her jacket off her shoulders, she winced as his hands gripped her blaster wounds again.

"What is wrong with your arm?" Cassian asked, watching her carefully. Jyn took the hem of her shirt off and jerked it over her head, revealing the bandages covering her upper arm and shoulder.

"Dios mio, what is this?" Cassian asked.

"It's nothing. A hold up in the bust, that's all."

"Why didn't you tell me that you were injured?" Cassian asked, his dark eyes burning again. Jyn didn't answer, just turned to the bed and began pulling her boots off.

"Jyn, _answer_ me." Cassian said, unmoving. "Jyn-"

"Because you don't ask." She said quietly, through the nausea and tears burning her throat.

"What do you mean?" Cassian advanced on her.

"You come to my room after every mission, spit hell afire about the rebellion and how under-appreciated you feel, you fuck me, and you leave."

Cassian looked like she'd slapped him, and for a moment she wished that she had.

The silence stretched, then Cassian broke it.

"I thought it was mutually beneficial." The hurt look was receding from his eyes, retreating behind his iron-clad will. In its place was a mask of stone indifference. It made Jyn's chest hurt. But two could play at that game.

"It is." She forced herself to look at him with the same act of cold indifference she saw mirrored in his eyes. In that moment, she wished that she had the courage to tell him her secret. But even the look of shock on his face wouldn't be worth the aftermath. Not with that look in his eyes.

Cassian stepped forwards, and jerked his shift over his head, stepping out of his boots. Jyn set her jaw and dropped her trousers. Cassian did the same. Then he pushed her on the bed.

Jyn forced herself to find refuge in her own head while Cassian's rough lovemaking continued. He was neither careful or considerate, hell bent on achieving his climax before the call went out for battle. Pilots always said they flew better after they'd been fucked.

Everything changed when a grim thought raced across her mind. This could be the last memory she had of Cassian. A fight and a fuck.

Jyn couldn't stop the tears flowing down her cheeks as Cassian shuddered and groaned above her, his hot body nearly burning her with its touch.

"Dios mio, why are you crying." Cassian asked. Jyn couldn't see his face through her tears. She couldn't speak either, only hold onto his arms in the tightest grip she could manage. All she could think about was the first time. The first time they'd slept together.

Cassian sighed and got out of bed, pulling his clothes on. Jyn lay there, feeling winded.

"Pull yourself together, you have to fly." He growled. Jyn began to go through the motions of putting on the clothing that Cassian threw at her.

"Do you even remember the first time we slept together?" Jyn asked quietly as Cassian strapped on his blaster and made to leave.

"What?"

"Do you remember the first time we slept together?" Jyn asked.

"What about it." Cassian replied.

"Do you remember what you said?"

Cassian pressed the door pad and it whooshed open.

"No. Why would I?"

Jyn laughed. It was a ragged and cold sound coming from her.

"Damn it, Erso. What do you want."

Jyn snapped.

"I want you to tell me you love me, like you did that night. I want you to say you-"

The slap echoed around the small room. Jyn staggered back, pressing a hand to her cheek. She couldn't breathe.

"Those words don't belong in a war." Cassian said coldly.

The the door slid shut, leaving Jyn with the last memory of the father of her child standing over her like she was a stranger.


	3. Chapter 3

Jyn stumbled to the hangar like a sleepwalker. Her cheek burned, her eyes burned, her stomach roiled. She had to stop at the toilet on her way to throw up whatever breakfast she still had left in her.

She was early to last call, but she couldn't stay in her room one moment longer. The sound of Cassian's hand on her was ringing in her ears. Whatever direction she was hoping the conversation would take, she couldn't have imagined he would hit her.

"Have you gotten your last ration?" Bodhi asked, coming up behind her. He was short a leg since Scariff, but the Alliance's doctors had given him a biomech implant that had allowed him to stay in active duty.

"I'm not hungry, thank you."

"Does it have to do with Cassian?" He sat in the copilot's seat and chewed on his rations.

"How did you know?" She asked quietly.

"He stormed in her about a minute 'fore you did, looking like he was ready to spit fire and take on the Empire himself. I figured it had to do with you, you're the only one who can get him riled up."

"What a relief." Her words sounded flat. Through the cockpit window she could see Cassian arguing with someone about something on his X-wing, already dressed in his orange jumpsuit. Jyn felt like crying again.

"You want to talk about it?" Bodhi asked, knowing the answer before she shook her head in reply.

"Just stay here with me, please." Jyn said quietly. Bodhi put his boots up on the console and continued chewing. One by one, they watched the X-wings power up and depart, Cassian's joining the end of the lineup.

Five minutes later, Jyn and Bodhi were in open space, making a race to Hoth with the Rebel Alliance's most important equipment should the attack on the death star fail.

* * *

Cassian looked out into the darkness of space and felt a thrill roll down his spine, mellowing the raw anger he felt in his chest. The tempest of emotions he felt following his fight with Jyn was unabated.

 _She_ wanted _him_ to love her? Didn't she know what the consequences of love during a rebellion were? Didn't she realize that as much as he deeply cared for her, as much as he trusted her, love was a dream that couldn't even be spoken about until after all this was over? How long the road to over would be?

"You vital signs indicate that you are distrested." K-2SO's tinny voice came through the speakers. "Would you like to talk about it."

"No." Cassian snapped, adjusting his course.

"I noticed on my way through the hangar that Jyn Erso's vital signs are also elevated, indicating distress. Perhaps you are mutually distressed?"

"Stop talking." Cassian said.

"Your response would indicate that I am correct. May I suggest apologizing to her when you return?"

Cassian ignored him. If he knew Jyn, she wouldn't be willing to talk to him for quite some time. Guiltily, he admitted that he'd gone too far. He shouldn't have slept with her - _fucked_ was a better word for it. He'd been neither gentle or considerate. And by god, he'd hit her.

Guilt reared its ugly head even higher as he heard the sound of his slap ring in his ears. If it was one thing his father had taught him growing up, it was treating women you cared about with respect. And he cared about Jyn. More than he liked to admit.

"K-2, keep me updated on the whereabouts of Cargo Charlie-2." Cassian growled.

"I will watch them carefully, Captain." K-2 replied. Cassian breathed slightly easier, then focused on the path ahead. The death star was a small spec on the horizon, but it would be there soon enough.

* * *

"I really don't see what they were worried about... The Empire is obviously much too distracted to pay attention to us." Bodhi said casually, cleaning under his nails as Jyn stared straight ahead, her back tense with worry.

"You should be concerned. It's a long way yet to Hoth." Jyn replied.

"What do you think they have stored in here?" Bodhi continued, putting down the short knife he'd been cleaning his nails with and hauling himself up to inspect their cargo.

"I have no clue what the Alliance would deem important enough to land on a snowball in the middle of nowhere, but obviously they set some store by it."

"Any contact from Charlie-1? Or the rest of the fleet?" He asked. He was chewing on something again.

"No, it's very odd. They must have leapt to hyperspace way ahead of us, they're nowhere near our formation. And the rest of the Cargo ships should still be dropping out of hyperspace."

"Huh. Weird." Bodhi was shuffling around, pawing through some boxes. "Well, I guess I'm glad I'm not on Echo base, if anything."

"What?" Jyn asked. "Why?"

"If they fail to take out the Death Star, Yavin is toast. Didn't you hear that part?"

"Oh." Was all she could say.

"This all looks pretty standard. Weapons, computer chips... hang on-"

The console up front gave an alarmed beep. Jyn saw a large object moving towards them on the scanner.

"Enemy ship, right on our tails!" The console beeped again. Another ship appeared right next to it. And another. She couldn't believe this. Her stomach flipped and she unconsciously let her hand settle on her abdomen. The fear she felt was unlike anything else she'd experienced.

"Bodhi, get up here!" She yelled at him, her voice cracking.

"Jyn, we've got a problem!" He yelled back, his voice mirroring her distress.

Jyn swung her chair around. Bodhi was holding up a round device that was beeping faintly.

"The rest of the crates are empty."

Jyn's stomach dropped. Bodhi was holding a locational tracker, the kind they used to track enemy cargo holds.

They'd been set up.

"Evasive action. We're going to try and lose them up ahead, and then planetside if we have to."

* * *

"Evasive action! Coming in hot!" the comlink buzzed. Voices were shouting over one another as pilots frantically tried to out-maneuver the Imperial drones. TIE fighters swept in from all sides and they'd already lost a dozen ships.

"I see an opening, I'm going in!" Luke Skywalker's voice came from the com.

"I'm on your tail." Cassian replied. Damn if he was going to let Skywalker have all the glory.

"Sir, I hope I'm not interrupting." K-2's voice came from the other channel.

"I'm busy!" Cassian snapped, rolling the X-wing over to avoid another x-wing chased by 3 TIE fighters.

"Well, sir, you asked me to keep you updated on the progress of the cargo ship Charlie-2. I'm afraid we've lost them."

Cassian nearly crashed the X-wing into a gun tower.

"What do you mean, lost them!?"

"Charlie-1 is en-route to Hoth, as planned. Contact with Charlie-2 was lost after they dropped out of hyperspace and made visual contact with an Imperial fleet."

"What's being done about it?" He snapped.

"Well, sir, that's just the thing."

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing, what? K-2!"

"Nothing's being done, sir. The primary mission was to see Charlie-1 to Hoth."

Cassian's chest felt like an Imperial ship was being landed on it. Jyn and Bodhi...

"Andor, on your left!" The comm crackled to life and he turned his controls, looping around another gun tower and taking out two TIE fighters on his way. He maneuvered towards the formation following on Skywalker's heels.

"I have a shot, I think I can take it..." Luke said over the comm. He sounded too calm for a kid who had the entire Alliance riding on his shoulders.

"Luke, pull back! They're too hot." Another pilot said.

"I'll take care of it. Get those torpedoes in." Cassian said.

"3...2...1... Fire!" Luke said, closely followed by a grown of frustration. "We have to make another pass. They didn't go in!"

"I'm coming in hot, I'll make the hit on your heels, see if I can get it." Cassian dropped into the trench, blasting two TIE fighters out of his way. It was like flying in a canyon.

"We have to get out to make another pass." A pilot said. "We can't get out!"

"I'm taking my shot!" Cassian yelled.

"Andor, get your ass out fo the trench, Skywalker's supposed to make the drop!" Bravo leader said. Cassian ignored him. He saw the hole coming up, pressed the trigger...

And watched as, like Luke's, the torpedoes sailed right over.

"I missed." He said, feeling the wind come out of his sails abruptly as it had come. He missed.

"We can't get out!" Came another frantic cry, followed by static.

A loud whoop came over the comm, nearly deafening Cassian. He only knew one rebel that sounded like a heathen at any given moment. TIE fighters began falling out of the air, taken down by the Millennium Falcon's guns.

If there was one person Cassian loathed more than Luke Skywalker, who at least had the excuse of being just a kid, it was Han Solo. He'd met Solo a half dozen times over the course of his career in space, and every time had gone worse than the last. When he found out the smuggler was working for the Rebels now, he didn't believe it for an instant.

"Get them, Luke!" Cries of support began to stream through the comm as Skywalker used the Falcon's distraction to drop into the trench for another pass. Cassian followed hot on his heels.

"He's putting his computer away! What are you doing?!" Came cries of protest from the comm and Echo base.

"I'm fine. I know what I'm doing." Skywalker's voice was steady. He pressed the trigger, and the two balls of blue light shot out towards the shaft. This time they went in.

"Get the hell out!" Cassian barked, piloting the X-wing out of the trench and out into open space. The Milennium Falcon and the remaining X-wings were right on his tail.

Cassian looked over his shoulder just in time to see the Death Star explode in a ring of fire. Tears snapped to his eyes as he realized revenge had finally be served for Scariff. If only Jyn could see...

Jyn. Bodhi.

"K-2," Cassian snapped, flipping to the private channel.

"Yes, sir."

"What has happened to Charlie-2. Where are the others?"

"Charlie-2 dropped out of hyperspace on their assigned coordinates, they were alone for approximately 2.3 minutes before they were intercepted by an Imperial Fleet."

"What about the others? Did they perform a drop and rescue? Move the coordinates?"

"That's just it sir, I'm afraid that the coordinates of Charlie-2 did not match the coordinates of the rest of the formation."

"They were given wrong coordinates."

"I wish that were the case, Captain Andor, but I'm afraid that our friends were assigned those coordinates directly."

"What..." Cassian's chest constricted further. Jyn and Bodhi had been the bait, allowing the rest of the fleet to pass by. That's why nothing was being done.

"What is their current status? Is the ship still intact?"

"We lost all contact with Charlie-2 after their last transmission."

"Play it for me."

There was a burst of static as the recording loaded to his comm. Then Jyn's voice bolted from the console.

"Echo base, this is Charlie-2, do you copy? We are under attack. Taking evasive action and going-" The recording cut out to static.

"Jyn..." Cassian breathed. He couldn't- He refused to believe she would let them take Charlie-2. She had to be alive.

"Sir, the General and the Princess would like an audience with you upon your arrival." K-2's voice came.

"I'll be there." Cassian set his computer to the coordinates of Echo base and gritted his teeth.


	4. Chapter 4

The hangar on Yavin was chaos. Pilots were being heaved into the air as heroes, none more so than Luke Skywalker. Cassian stalked between the ships, avoiding well-wishers where he could and searching for the woman in charge. Princess Leia.

He spotted her white-robed figure celebrating with Luke and Han Solo nearby, and he began to push his way through. When the Princess caught his eyes, a frown darkened her brow. She detached herself from the crowd and came swiftly to his side.

"Come, there is something I need to discuss with you." She said in that soft yet commanding way of hers. She led him to the control room.

In the room, there were only three other figures. The General, Mon Mothma, and K-2.

"We apprehended your robot using a private channel to speak to you. Can you tell me why you would do this?" The General asked.

"He was informing me of the whereabouts of my former crewmates, who have just recently gone off the radar after making contact with the enemy." Cassian said, eyes burning. Princess Leia went white.

"You mean, they-" The General held up a hand.

"I'm not going to cut corner, Andor. The surviving crew of Rogue One have been a credit to this organization, doing what we asked of you at all times. That was why, when it became obvious that we needed to give the Imperial Fleet a false lead, we naturally thought of them. With you in active service as part of the red team, that left Jyn Erso and Bodhi Rook to take the cargo ship to the coordinates we set-"

"You left them to die." Cassian spat.

"For all we know, they are only captured. Or they have managed to evade the Imperial Fleet altogether."

"Or they could be dead!" Cassian yelled, throwing his helmet on the ground and watching it crack down the side.

"We understand your concern, which is why we are asking you to recover them." Mon Mothma said quietly.

"A single man? Against an Imperial Fleet? It's suicide."

"Any more suicidal than landing on an imperial planet with no escape route?" Mon Mothma replied. Cassian bit his lip, hard. He could taste the blood in his mouth.

"This is the thanks we get for making today possible." He spat, before turning on his heel and walking away, back stiff.

He didn't even notice that his feet took him to Jyn's door until he was touching the doorpad. The door whooshed open and he stepped inside the dark room.

"Lights."

The room looked exactly the way he'd left it this morning. The blankets on the bed shoved down to facilitate their fucking, Jyn's few possessions in their same spots, her clothes on the floor. The room smelled like her.

For the first time in a long time, Cassian Andor sat down and allowed a tear to drip down the end of his long nose and onto the floor. He couldn't stop picturing Jyn the way he'd left her, crying, holding her cheek where he'd laid his hand on her.

Gods, he was stupid.

He had been using Jyn for the past few months, and he knew it. It was nice to get a quick fuck in before he flew, he always felt more focused and less tempestuous. It was nice to have sex and not worry about consequences, the rebellion was no place for children or feelings.

Besides, she was the only one he trusted. He trusted her with his frank opinions of the Rebellion and her heroes. He had trusted her with his life on Scariff and would do so again. And he trusted her not to put a blaster hole in his chest while he was making love to her.

But was it making love? Or was it just fucking?

He didn't know the answer. The first time, maybe it had been driven by feelings. He couldn't confirm or deny if he'd told her _those words_ that night, and he was a fool if it were true. There was no place for love in a war.

Cassian scrubbed his face, erasing the tear tracks he'd made. When this was all over - and he refused to believe that she were dead - him and Jyn would have a long talk.

* * *

Jyn stared at the black wall of her cell, contemplating how exactly to escape. It felt like hours since Bodhi had been dragged away for interrogation.

Frankly, it was a miracle they survived. Once the Imperial Fleet had closed in around them, they'd been given an ultimatum: surrender, or be blown to bits.

 _"We'll stand and fight." Bodhi said, staring at the fleet with fierce determination._

 _"No." Jyn breathed. "We can't."_

 _"Why not? This is much better than Scariff."_

 _Jyn bit her lip and made a split second decision._

 _"I can't take the risk. I-I'm pregnant."_

 _Bodhi sucked in air between his teeth, then leaned forwards over the comm._

 _"We surrender. We have information on the whereabouts on the Rebel Alliance if you just... don't shoot us." He looked across the console at Jyn and set his lips in a hard line._

One thing they'd agreed upon is that under no circumstances should they reveal that they were part of Rogue One. They'd be killed on the spot. Their alias is that they were merchants traveling to the Outer Rim to settle down and received a plea from the Rebels asking if they would please tote some cargo for them.

"Please... Don't hurt my wife." Bodhi had begged as they dragged him out of the cell. Jyn felt tears springing to her eyes as she watched. Under no circumstances had she expected Bodhi to jump to her aid like that, acting as if his life depended on the charade. Part of it did, but he didn't have to protect her.

The door slid open suddenly and Bodhi toppled in. He lay where he was tossed, unmoving.

"Your husband had a lot to say about you and very little about the Rebellion." One of the troopers said. "We'll see if we can fix that in the morning." The door slid shut again.

"Oh, Bodhi." Jyn said, kneeling down and taking his face in her hands. He looked absolutely mangled, but she knew that they had given him a bacta shot and he would be healed in hours, only for the torture to begin anew.

"'M alright." He groaned, pushing himself up to a sitting position. He swayed a little and then leaned against the wall, mopping at his face.

"What did you tell them?"

"Nothing, yet. I figure I'll crack tomorrow, now that I've established that I really don't care much for or don't know much about the Rebellion and my wife is all I care about."

Silence fell in the little room. Jyn's stomach was rolling with nausea and hunger.

"Why are you doing this for me?" She asked.

"'M not doing it for you." Bodhi replied. "'M doing it for Cassian."

Jyn recoiled.

"It's his kid, isn't it? And you two haven't exactly been right the last few weeks. I've seen how he treats you."

"So why-"

"I owe him my life for Scariff, but make no mistake that he owes you a hundred times over and I'll see to it I beat the living shit out of him when we get out of here."

"He doesn't know." Jyn said, feeling tears threaten to fall once more.

"I figured. He wouldn't sit down and listen long enough."

The silence stretched as Jyn cried quietly. Bodhi held out his arm to her and in a surprise move she came close to him, putting her head on his chest. His warmth was welcome in the frigid prison. She flushed a little, since she would never be intimate with another person. Only Cassian had gotten remotely close to her. But Bodhi had been nothing but loyal since Scariff. She knew he could trust him in their escape.

"In the morning I'll let them take me." She said. "I'll tell them I met with the Princess and learned about their base on Dakkar 5."

"I won't let you be tortured. I'll tell them about Dakkar."

"Bodhi..."

"Shut up, Erso."

She fell silent, thinking hard. Sleep began to creep up on her despite the cold and hunger of the cell. Her hand slid to her stomach once more. Even though it was flat now, it wouldn't always be. Then there would be more problems...

"If Cassian knew, he'd move stars for you, Jyn." Bodhi's voice came in the darkness. Jyn's breath hitched.


	5. Chapter 5

Cassian was _fuming._

Three days had passed and The General wouldn't let him off Echo Base. Things were being prepared for the move to Hoth, and "No word yet" on Jyn and Bodhi's whereabouts. They were probably rotting in an Empire basement for all the Alliance seemed to care.

If they didn't start getting intel soon, he was leaving to find them on his own. The Empire was secretive, but he knew how to be stealthy when the time called.

"Hey, Andor." A smooth voice came as he stalked the hallway. That brought him to the other thorn in his side... Solo.

"Yes, Solo?" He gritted his teeth and turned to face the taller man.

"Rumor has it that you're waiting for the Alliance to dig up dirt on your lost girlfriend." Han drawled. Cassian looked around the hallway, which was currently deserted.

"She is not-" Solo's grin widened. Cassian decided to play ball. "What do you know?"

"I know that the Rebels intercepted something on their whereabouts yesterday and didn't inform you. They think that Jyn will turn tail and run first chance she gets."

"She's been nothing but loyal to the cause since Scariff!" Cassian hissed.

"The way they see it, all of you Scariff folks from Rogue One are likely to be turncoats."

"Like you're so much better." Cassian replied.

"Listen, kid. I'm willing to help you. Jyn Erso pulled me out of a bad break once and I owe her. We can take the Falcon, be back on Hoth with your girlfriend and the other little guy before the Princess and even sneeze."

Cassian bit his lips and thought. The General had told him he would be in charge of the rescue, having Solo to back him up would be helpful... But the Falcon was hardly a stealthy ship.

"Andor, I'm waiting. Are ya in?" Solo growled. Cassian squared his jaw, then held out his hand for the smuggler to shake.

* * *

"Mrs. Rook, I tired of your ignorance. You were in an a Rebel ship, you were carrying practically nothing on said ship, and location was being broadcast plain as day. Do you know what that sounds like to me?"

Jyn rolled her eyes at the commanding officer.

"How many times do we have to tell you? We weren't told what was there, we just were told to fly it. The Rebels who wanted us to do it were on Dakkar 6."

"Dakkar 6 is a defunct prison camp, hardly suitable for the likes of Princess Leia Organa and her breed. Try harder."

"I told you the truth. We were on Dakkar and then we came here. My husband will tell you-"

"Yes, your dear husband. I think we'll kill him if we can't get any more information out of you two."

Jyn bit back a fiery retort, exchanging it for a dose of fake tears.

"Please, just let us go..." She begged.

"We will see." The commander said, turning his back on her. "Take her away."

She was tossed roughly into the dark cell. Only Bodhi's strong hands kept her from toppling to the ground.

"Did you tell them anything more?" He asked.

"No, no more. But he says he will kill you if I don't."

The silence stretched as Bodhi thought.

"What if we tell them about Hoth?" Jyn whispered.

"And send the Rebellion to their death? How the hell could you live with that?" Bodhi replied.

"It could be our ticket out of here, and look at what the Rebellion did for us. After Scariff? After all the missions we've gone on since? We were the bait. They meant for us to be captured."

"But they'll send someone..." Bodhi said. He'd said it a few times over the last few days. This time he didn't seem so sure. They both knew what it meant when the days began to stretch.

"We need to hold out longer." Bodhi continued, regaining control of his voice. "If we have to, we'll use your pregnancy as a bargaining chip."

"No..." Jyn protested.

"We may have to."

Jyn bit her lip hard enough to draw blood, a habit she'd formed since they'd been captured. The inside of her mouth felt raw. Her stomach rumbled too.

"Here, I saved some of my portion for you." Bodhi said, pushing the hard slice of bread to her.

"I don't want it." Jyn replied. Since they'd gotten food for the first time the day before, Bodhi had been pressing his share onto her.

"You have to eat, Jyn. You have to keep your strength up."

Jyn sighed and accepted the bread, nibbling on it. The silence pressed in.

"Can you feel it yet?" Bodhi asked.

"What?"

"The baby. Can you feel it yet?"

Jyn looked down at her flat stomach in the dark, thinking hard.

"No... I don't think it's been long enough."

"How long?"

"A month and a half or so..."

"Ah. I figured." Bodhi's response surprised her slightly.

"Why do you say that?"

"It was around when we made that really big bust outside Sysco, ain't it? I thought you and Andor looked comfortable, I thought you two might get it on."

"Oh." Was all Jyn could say. Then: "You should mind your own business."

The silence pressed in again, this time more awkward. Jyn finished her bread, then her thoughts turned to Cassian as they usually did.

Provided he survived the attack on the Death Star, and they survived this stint aboard an Imperial ship, what then? Would he even talk to her? Was it worth the trouble to get back to the Alliance? He was the whole reason she decided to stay anyways.

A plan started to form in her mind. Cassian was married to the cause, always would be. As long as there was a fight to be had, he would be in the middle of it. But she wasn't so loyal. With her father dead, the plans delivered to the Princess, and the Death Star destroyed, what was holding her to the cause?

Cassian. Her mind replayed the scene in her quarters once more, the slap ringing in her ears yet again.

No, Cassian wasn't keeping her tied to the cause any longer.

"Bodhi." She said in the dark. "We're going to escape first chance we get when we're out of the cell together, we'll get a ship."

"What then?"

"I'll drop you at the nearest friendly planet."

* * *

Cassian boarded the Millennium Falcon for the first time, instantly unimpressed.

"What a hunk of junk." He growled. Wires and machinery littered every conceivable surface.

"Watch it, Andor. I invited you aboard, I can kick you right back off." Han Solo replied, shoving past him to the control pod.

"Dirty scoundrel..." Cassian retorted under his breath.

"This is Millennium Falcon, requesting takeoff clearance." Han barked into the comm as Cassian made his way to sit in the copilot's seat. He'd been there all of three seconds before he was rudely shoved out of the way by Solo's pet carpet.

"Oh yeah, you don't ride shotgun." Han said, flipping switches on the console. Chewbacca nodded smugly. Cassian picked himself up and pulled a stool over behind them so he could watch the takeoff.

"Echo Base to Millennium Falcon, you have takeoff. Proceed to bay one." The console chirped. Cassian's heart began to beat faster. He was sneaking away from the Rebellion, his cause.

"This is Rogue One..." He whispered under his breath. "Hang in there Jyn."

* * *

Jyn bit back a scream as her face met the edge of the cold steel table. The commander's patience was wearing thin. He gripped her hair tighter and brought her down again, blood dripping onto the cold metal.

"I don't like liars, Mrs. Rook. Where is the rebel base?"

"Why don't you look for it? Use your probes?" Jyn said thickly through a mouth of blood.

"You insolent child. I'll have you shot." He gestured to the guards. She heard the blasters cock as they lifted to her head. An ice cold bolt of fear shot down her spine.

"W-wait. Please, I'm-I'm with child." She tried to make her plea as meek and frightened as possible. They had been able to go five days without giving up the pregnancy card.

"With child? How interesting. Mrs. Rook, you have my apologies." He didn't look sorry for a minute. His face was split wider than a Troylon toad at suppertime.

"Get her cleaned up, send her back to her cell. I want them both back here tomorrow." Jyn let herself go limp as they dragged her to the small medical room that they always went to after torture. A bacta patch was applied to her face, fixing the splits in her forehead, cheek, and chin. An Imperial doctor pulled her nose back on straight, eliciting a groan of pain from her. After the bacta bubbled and dried up, she was half-marched, half-dragged back to the cell.

Jyn's head was lolling on her shoulders, but her eyes were cracked open. She memorized every turn they took, noting the hallway and lift numbers.

"Jyn!" Bodhi exclaimed when she was lopped into the cell. He caught her and lowered her to the ground.

"Jyn, say something. Are you alright? Is the baby?"

"Stop fussing, Bodhi. He put my head into the table a few times, nothing more. You've gotten much worse."

Indeed it was true. Bodhi was scarred anew from the torture he'd been given on the daily. Where he had learned to withstand a beating, Jyn didn't know. But Bodhi took it like a true Rebel, not letting it wear him down.

"Please eat some, the shock could be harming the baby." Bodhi had been so attentive, it was like he was expecting a baby himself.

"I said stop fussing. I need to tell you something." She took the bread he offered her and ate it quickly. "They're taking us both tomorrow."

"You think this could be our chance." Bodhi said.

"I don't think we have a choice. They're going to shoot us."

"Well then."

"We wait for the appropriate time, and then we strike. I've memorized the way to the lift. The hangar shouldn't be hard to achieve from there. Then we just need a ship."

"You think we'll make it?"

"We have to."

Bodhi's hand found hers in the darkness, and Jyn gave it a reassuring squeeze. After nearly a week and a half in this dark hole, they'd be out. Then she'd be done with the Alliance forever.


	6. Chapter 6

Cassian was sure of two things: One, he hated recon. Two, he hated Han Solo.

Finding the Imperial ship that captured Charlie-2 was becoming impossible. Every lead they tracked led them to getting lost somewhere else, and by all means the Imperial fleet wasn't huge, but it had a way of staying out of sight.

Han Solo was a scoundrel. He treated his ship like his castle and behaved like a princess every step of the way. Cassian was tired of playing second fiddle to save _his_ friends.

And they didn't have a plan. The best they could come up with was that they would allow themselves to be captured and then bust their way back out again, similar to Solo's previous escape from the Imperial flagship with the Princess in tow.

But they had to find the correct ship. Getting on the wrong ship would mean starting over or getting shot.

Han Solo maneuvered the ship into a landing area on the only slightly sketchy moon Bafta-11, his plan was to meet with someone who supposedly had dirt on the Empire. A bounty hunter.

Cassian couldn't help but feel this was a waste of time. Jyn and Bodhi were probably being tortured as him and Han Solo were fucking around with bounty hunters and dive bars, searching for clues.

"Come on." Han said, hitting him on the shoulder. Cassian raised his hand to hit back, but thought better of it. Save it for a time he'd really enjoy punching the scoundrel in the nuts.

* * *

There was very little concept of time in the cell. They slept or kept to themselves all of the time they weren't eating their meager rations or taken elsewhere for interrogation. But it seemed like an extraordinarily long time was taking place before they both would be taken from their cell.

"I don't like it..." Bodhi whispered into the darkness. "They're probably summoning someone higher up."

"Or they're finally getting news that the Death Star blew up." Jyn replied. Bodhi was getting on her nerves with his constant fussing. If it wasn't their escape plan, it was her or the baby, and if it wasn't that, it was a dozen other things. She was sure of their escape, why couldn't he be?

Finally, the door slid open. They blinked against the light. Four troopers stood, waiting for them. Perfect.

As they were hustled up, hands behind their backs, Jyn's stomach lurched. Oh no, now was not the time for morning sickness.

"Are you okay?" Bohdi asked.

Or maybe it was...

"I-I need to use the toilet." Jyn choked. "Morning sickness."

"Seriously?" The lead trooper said. Jyn swayed on her feet and hoped she looked green around the gills.

"All right. You get two minutes in there, then we're hauling you to the commander." He pushed her down the hall to the toilet they'd been allowed to use previous times.

A trooper followed her in the room and pushed her to a stall. She went down on her knees willingly and threw up the remains of the bread she'd had the night before. She heard the trooper scoff in disgust.

When she was throwing up nothing but air, Jyn backed away from the toilet and flushed. She felt quite weak, but she couldn't think about it now.

"Come on." The Trooper said. Jyn turned around and followed him, but right before he put his hand on the door, she shoved his head into the wall as hard as she could. When he was down, she whipped off his helmet slammed his head on the floor until he lay still. Then she took his blaster and hid it behind her.

As she emerged into the hallway, she didn't pause at all, only shot the three stormtroopers in the chest.

"Help me drag them in here." She said to the stunned Bodhi. "Then put on a uniform."

A moment later, two stormtroopers were walking the halls like they were born to patrol. It was almost too easy.

* * *

Cassian was about to lose his shit on Han Solo. They'd been waiting in the dive bar for almost two hours, and no sign of their contact. The smuggler had no concept of the urgency their situation presented.

"Han, this is pointless-" Cassian leaned in. Solo held up a hand and pointed to a shabbily dressed man in a hooded robe making his way to them. Cassian knitted his brows and leaned back in his seat.

"Han Solo, you have a lot of guts showing your face on this side of the outer rim." A rough voice came from under the hood.

"Tough luck, Toffirk. I have a friend who's in need of rescuing."

"So I hear. Word travels quickly 'round here."

Toffirk sat down across from them and put his boots up on the table.

"Who's your friend?"

"Cassian Andor." Han Solo replied. "He's learning the trade."

Cassian bit the inside of his lip to keep from arguing. Han had been introducing him like some sort of _smuggler_ and it made him feel dirty. His days of freelance work were well behind him.

"He looks like a Rebellion brat." Toffirk said laconically.

"Keep your opinions to yourself, ruffian." Solo drawled.

The silence stretched. Toffirk ordered a drink and downed it. Han and Cassian didn't take a sip of their untouched drinks.

"You're looking for the Imperial fleet that's been scooping up every ship it can find in hopes it gets some Rebels." Toffirk finally said.

"Sounds about right." Han replied. Now he reached for his drink. Every move was calculated. Cassian had seen it a dozen times since they left Yavin.

"Well, about two weeks ago now, they picked up a cargo ship near Dorina. Definite Rebel markings."

"That also sounds about right. Where's she headed?"

"The outpost on Dorina might have more answers, I have a friend there who's been watching the radios. But you might not need them. Way I hear it, they're camped out on the other side of Dorina waiting for something."

"What's on Dorina?" Cassian asked.

"It's not the planet they're interested in, at least not right now. Everything's on holdup since those Rebs destroyed their big weapon."

Even Han Solo couldn't hide his surprise.

"Yeah, Solo, I know about you and your involvement with the Death Star. Word travels quick, like I said. I know you two are looking for your Rebel friends, and I'll help you. On one condition."

"What makes you think we're bargaining?" Han asked.

"I spent 8 years in a prison camp welding the hulls for Imperial Destroyers." Toffirk replied.

"What's your price?" Han's dark eyes glittered in the dim bar light.

"You take me with you to blow up that ship, then drop me at the nearest friendly planet. Dorina'll do."

"That seems pretty light." Cassian said.

"Trust me, sonny boy. A chance to take down one of those triangles from hell will do this old man good."

"Deal." Han said, raising his drink and downing it. He elbowed Cassian to do the same. Cassian pushed down the hard spirits and set the glass on the table, throat burning.

"Deal." Toffirk replied. He set down his own empty glass and rose from the table. "I'll be at your ship in one hour."

"That was too easy." Cassian said.

"I agree." Han replied. "We'll keep our guard up."

"At least we have a lead now." Cassian's mind went, as it often did, to Jyn and Bodhi. Were they still alive aboard the Imperial ship? He knew Jyn could withstand any matter of torture the empire threw at her, but he worried for Bodhi. Bodhi was too soft-hearted, even after the events of Scariff. And Jyn would do anything to protect Bodhi, even if it meant laying her life on the line.

Jyn... Guilt ate at him. With all the new time to think, away from the Rebellion and mission, he'd begun to realize how wrong he was. How wrong he'd been on that day. If Jyn never wanted to see his face again, he'd gladly take the punishment. He owed her everything, she was the real reason he and Bodhi had made it off Scariff alive. By some absolute miracle, she'd been able to drag him and Bodhi to a only partially destroyed transport ship and flown it to safety. They'd suffered a few broken bones, some radiation, some burns, but they were alive... All thanks to her.

* * *

Jyn grit her teeth against the nausea and weakness assailing her. She felt like she could faint any minute, and by god, now was NOT the time.

"We wait for that patrol to cross, then we march past that transport. Use the radio to figure out where the hell we are, and then fly like hell for the nearest planet." Bodhi said. Jyn nodded weakly.

"Are you okay? Is the baby-" She waved him off.

They marched across the hangar to one of the smaller transport ships. No one questioned them. There was a platoon of troopers drilling on the other side of the hangar, but everything was quiet aside from that.

They boarded the ship, sealing the door behind them. No one in the hangar noticed. Bodhi pulled off his helmet and went to the console.

"Well, this brings back memories." He said wryly.

"Ha ha. Get us out of here." Jyn replied, watching the door.

"I'm trying. I need to find out where _here_ is."

The radio crackled to life, flooding the cockpit with staticky transmissions. Some Empire, some not.

"This is Empire D-3 requesting docking status, do you copy Dorina base?" A drawling Empire voice came.

"Dorina? That's not far from where we dropped out of hyperspace. They haven't taken us anywhere!" Jyn exclaimed.

"They must've been waiting for us to crack before they change their course. Or maybe the Empire hasn't given them orders because they're trying to figure out what to do now that they don't have their fancy weapon."

Outside in the hangar, a siren began to go off. Their time was up.

"When that platoon moves to hunt us down, we'll make a break for it." Jyn said. Bodhi began flipping switches frantically.

"FP-31, do you have clearance to power up?" A voice came from the direct comm. They'd been spotted.

"Go, Bodhi! _NOW!"_ Jyn shouted. With a whoosh of the engines, the ship jumped forwards, scattering stormtroopers as it went. Frantic shots began to fly around the hangar.

Bodhi flipped two more switches, then threw the throttle forwards. The little transport shot out of the hangar like a slingshot, headed for the inky blackness of space.

"They'll be hot on our tail." Bodhi said, setting his lips in a hard line. As he spoke, two TIE fighters emerged from the hangar behind them.

"I have an idea." Jyn said. "It's fucking crazy."

"I could go for crazy." Bodhi replied, jerking the throttle to avoid shots form the TIE fighters.

"Let them hit us somewhere near the surface. Make a crash landing. We'll blow up the ship and they'll assume we died."

"That's... brilliant. Also, suicidal!"

"We don't have much of a choice. Dorina has a few big outposts where we could commandeer a ship, but we don't have a chance if they're watching us."

"We can't commandeer a ship if we're dead!"

"Bodhi, do it." Jyn said. There was no room for argument. They had to crash the ship.

Bodhi began to break for the atmosphere of the green and brown planet that was Dorina. The TIE fighters kept up hot pursuit, making sure to keep them busy avoiding shots until the key time.

"Do it now." Jyn said as they broke the atmosphere. Dorina's thick leafy jungle panned out in front of them.

"Start praying." Bodhi replied. He kept the course steady, swerving through tall trees and over lakes.

Jyn thought she was ready for the impact, but when the shot came from the lead TIE fighter, her body wasn't ready for the sudden jerk, piercing shriek of metal, and loss of momentum. She looked. A ragged hole was all that remained of their right wing. The ship began to jolt.

"Fuck!" Bodhi yelled. He had blood in his hair from where something had hit him. Jyn checked herself. She had blood on her hands but she could tell where it was from. She didn't feel any pain, only a vertigo sensation as they fell from the sky.

"I'm aiming for that copse of trees. Hope we survive." Bodhi said grimly. He was doing a good job of flying erratically. The TIE fighters had stopped shooting.

CRUNCH.

Jyn wasn't ready for the second impact either. She flew clean out of the hole where the right wing had been and skidded across the dirt a good ten feet. She shook off the dazed feeling and ran for cover, hiding herself behind a tree just as the TIE fighters swept over her.

"Bodhi!" She yelled. A moment later, the transport ship exploded.


	7. Chapter 7

Jyn couldn't breathe.

"Bodhi!" She cried again. Then she cried out in pain as a sudden stabbing in her ribs. Looking down, she was shocked to see the clean white of a stormtrooper uniform. Then it all rushed back to her. Her head pounded from the impact. She rushed to strip off the stormtrooper armor.

There was no blood on her regular clothes. Her chest just hurt like hell. The stormtrooper armor had kept her alive. She checked herself once again.

At least one rib was cracked, but the pain didn't go down farther than her chest, which meant that the baby was safe...

She was so relieved that she didn't even fight the nausea as it hit the back of her throat, forcing her to retch dryly on the forest floor.

"Bodhi..." She cried weakly. The trees above were beginning to burn. There was no way he had made it out alive.

She waited for the TIE fighters to make another pass overhead, then she stole over to the smoking ruin of their ship. If they were coming to search the wreckage, she would have to move fast.

"Bodhi!" She yelled again. Her voice didn't sound like her own.

* * *

Cassian stared at the Empire ship ahead in apprehension. He didn't like their plan one bit.

Chewbacca would pilot the ship in, with Cassian, Toffirk, and Han hiding in the cargo bay. They would sneak their way in, break Chewie, Jyn and Bodhi out of the prison floor, hightail it for the Falcon while setting blast charges every place they could, then blast their way out and jump to hyperspace as soon as possible.

What could go wrong? Everything.

Cassian could handle all the usual problems. He could handle getting shot, could handle Han getting shot, could probably handle Bodhi taking a (nonfatal) hit, but the worst outcome he could see of the whole plan was losing Jyn to carelessness. God forbid he arrive to find she was already dead.

The comm crackled, startling everyone.

"This is Imperial D-3 to Unknown Vessel, what is your business?"

Chewie shoved his way in between Han and Cassian and roared into the comm.

"Unknow vessel, we have locked you in our tractor beam. Prepare to be boarded."

Cassian followed Han wordlessly into the cargo hold, beneath the floor panels of the entryway.

"We did something like this busting the princess outta prison." Han boasted. Cassian grit his teeth as Toffirk stood on his foot. Something felt off to him.

"What if we don't find them?" He decided to voice his till-then silent opinion. "What if we blow them up because we search the wrong cell block?"

"Don't worry, loverboy. I haven't blown up anyone I didn't mean to." Han said in his usual joking tone. Then he leaned closer and said under his breath: "we'll find Her."

Cassian searched the older man's face for some sign of his usual mocking demeanor, but the smuggler was serious. It was the first genuine look the smuggler had given him.

"Thank you... Han."

The door to the Falcon whooshed open, and then men underneath the floor fell silent, praying they wouldn't be detected.

* * *

Jyn prayed with all her might that the TIE fighters wouldn't come back for another pass. The wreckage of their ship was burning quickly and if she had any hope of finding Bodhi - any piece of Bodhi - she needed to do it fast.

She picked her way around the wreckage, steeling herself for the sight of her friend's mangled body.

"Bodhi?" She called. She heard a groan, but not from the smoking wreckage. Shielding her eyes, she turned around and scanned the treeline.

"Bodhi?" She tried once more. Something rustled in the bushes. She advanced, carefully, trying not to choke on the smoke in the air.

Bodhi was laying up against a tree some few feet away. He looked undamaged aside from some burns.

"Are you alright?" Jyn asked, falling to her knees beside him.

"You look like shit... Are you okay? Is the baby okay?" Bodhi asked through gritted teeth. He sounded like his ribs hurt too.

"My chest hurts, but nothing else does for the moment. We need to get out of here." Jyn replied.

"M'leg's busted..." Bodhi wheezed. Jyn followed his gaze down to his biomech leg, which was severely dented right around where his knee used to be.

"Can you walk?"

"I can try."

Jyn looked around. The TIE fighters hadn't come back. She had no idea where on Dorina they were.

"What do you know about Dorina?" She asked Bodhi, dragging him to his feet and pulling his arm around her.

"It's... settled." Bodhi replied. "I wouldn't exactly use the words friendly."

Together they began to limp into the trees, letting the greenery surround them. The further they moved away from the wreckage of their ship, the more alive the jungle became.

They'd been limping along for only about an hour before Jyn felt weakness steal up on her again.

"Bodhi..." She panted. "I have to stop."

Bodhi collapsed against a tree as soon as she let go of him, his face rather pale.

"We should try and find something to eat." Jyn said, taking a seat as well.

"Do you still have your blaster?"

Jyn looked around numbly. She'd left it at the ship. How could she be so stupid?

"We'll manage. There has to be something edible on the ground."

"Water..." Jyn said.

"That too. Help me up, we have to keep going."

Jyn opened her mouth to protest, then snapped her jaw shut. Jyn Erso was not a complainer. She would crawl to Dorina's nearest colony if she had to.

"There we go." Bodhi had watched her carefully. She glared at him and hauled on his arm so he could struggle to his feet. They began trekking again as twilight began to fall around them.

* * *

One would think that Han Solo could admit to being totally fucked once in a while, but after three hours locked in a cell, it didn't seem to be going that way.

The only thing Cassian could think was cursing himself for listening to the smuggler and getting himself into this position in the first place. Why the hell did he think that this whole idea could have worked? There was no way they were going to get out of this one alive.

"Sit down, will ya? Wearing a trench in the floor isn't going to do you any good." Han drawled from the back corner of their dim cell.

"Don't talk to me." Cassian spat, resuming his pacing. He had to think of some way to get out of here...

"Relax. We're going to find an opening. The Empire always makes the first mistake."

"The first mistake was listening to you. The next was listening to your friend."

"He'll come through for us. He owes me." Han said, sounding much more sure of the situation than he should.

Cassian pressed a hand to his head, thinking it might just split open. As soon as they had gotten into the prison block, they'd been caught by stormtroopers and Toffirk had melted into thin air, leaving them to rot in a cell. Chewbacca was in a cell of his own, somewhere down the hall. Every once in a while he'd howl and Han would yell at him.

"Sit down." Han Solo said, dark eyes following his every move. Cassian glared at him and retreated into the furthest corner of the cell from the older man, crossing his arms over his chest and willing his eyes to burn the smuggler alive.

"Be that way." Solo said, looking at his nails.

Cassian knew he could keep up his attitude for quite a long time, having practiced during the usual headstrong arguments with Jyn. So he settled in for the long haul.

"When they take us out to torture us, we'll check the other cells. Your girlfriend's got to be here somewhere." Solo said.

"She's not my girlfriend." Cassian replied.

"Really. See, you keep saying that and I keep not believing you. There's something between you."

"How would you know? You're a-"

"Scoundrel? Guilty. But I know what it's like to love a woman."

"Those words mean nothing during a war." Cassian said.

"On the contrary, that's when a man can do the best loving." Han replied. His voice had changed. Cassian realized he was seeing genuine Han Solo once again.

"I can't... do that." Cassian said finally.

"We'll see." Han replied. "You're going to have to do a better job of that when you tell me it's not all just fucking to you."

Cassian's anger slammed down like a blast door.

"You have no idea - _no idea -_ what it's like to die for a cause!"

"We're not talking about a cause, kid, we're talking about a woman. A woman who does a bad job of hiding her feelings for you."

Cassian's mind flashed back to that morning, in Jyn's room.

 _"I want you to tell me you love me, like you did that night. I want you to say you-"_ The slap rang in his ears once more.

"Is there something you haven't told me?" Han asked.

"Our parting... Did not go as planned." Cassian admitted, after a moment's silence.

"What, she tell you she's knocked up? That'd be something." He could tell that Han was trying to cheer him up, but the effect of his words fell flat.

"No, she said she wasn't capable of having children."

"Bet that made things fun." He could see Solo's smirk even in the near-blackness of the cell.

"Stop." Cassian snapped. He didn't like Han talking about Jyn like she was some sort of... dirty woman. He'd had his share of whores, and she was nothing like that.

But hadn't that been exactly what he had used her as? Fuck it all.

"You want to talk about it?" Han's voice came.

 _Fuck it all_ , Cassian thought again. Here he was, about to confess his problems to his least favorite person in the Rebel Alliance.

"Listen, kid. You can trust me not to care about whatever you tell me while we're waiting for these Empire idiots to make up their minds about us."

The silence stretched as Cassian rolled his thoughts around, trying to find the best way to say what was plaguing him.

"Have you ever made a mistake?" Cassian asked quietly.

"What, like gotten a girl knocked up? Is that your problem?" Han practically hooted.

"No. Gods, no..." Cassian replied. Thank heavens he didn't have to worry about that with Jyn. She'd told him that she wasn't able to have children.

"I guess that means it's serious."

Cassian chewed his lip, wincing as he bit a raw spot.

"When we parted... She told me she wanted to hear _those words_ after we- after we _fucked_ and I lost my temper when I shouldn't have - I hit her."

Surpringly, Han didn't have an instant reply. The smuggler leaned back, then shook his head and suddenly stood up to advance on the younger man.

"You know, not only do I not care, I don't feel sorry for you, Andor. I may be a scoundrel and a smuggler, but I don't lay my hands on women. If I weren't so sure that Jyn will do it herself, I'd drop you right here."

Cassian shrank back, surprised at Han Solo's sudden declaration of fealty. The taller man loomed over him and he prepared for a fight.

"Nah, you're not worth it." Solo growled, stalking back to the bench that served as the only bed in the room. "Don't bother talking again."

Cassian slowly slid down the wall, a hollow guilt eating at his insides.

If Han Solo thought you were scum, you were well and truly fucked.


	8. Chapter 8

Jyn wiped her forehead, and rolled over. The heat of the jungle was eating at her, making it impossible to sleep.

"Have some water." Bodhi's voice came. Jyn forced her eyes open and accepted the makeshift canteen.

They'd been on Dorina for almost a month. A month in which they'd made slow progress across the planet, trying to make it to an outpost or _some form of civilization._

Bodhi took the canteen back and hauled himself to his feet with some difficulty. They'd been unable to fix the ruined joint in his biomech leg and rust had begun to set in.

"We should get moving." He said. Jyn nodded and began her own slow trip to her feet. Her pregnancy had advanced faster than she would have liked, she was huge (by her standards) for only being 3 months along. Bodhi insisted that being in the jungle was affecting her negatively and by all means she should be bigger... Jyn couldn't fully imagine her stomach getting bigger yet. Her tunic still covered her bump nicely... for now.

Suddenly, they both froze. The sound of an engine whining overhead was steadily getting louder.

 _A ship._

Turbulence began to blow the leaves around their ankles as a small cruiser darted overhead, closely followed by two smaller ships.

"We must be close!" Bodhi yelled. Jyn's heart leapt.

She had seen her share of hard times. Time spent in Imperial prison camps, time spent as a slave in a brothel, time on a dead ship in the middle of nowhere. But this time in the jungle had worn her down. Maybe it was the pregnancy, maybe it was the thought of the Rebellion deserting them after what they've done.

Or maybe it was that she'd started dreaming about Scariff again.

Many nights now she'd woken up in a cold sweat despite the heat, seeing the dead bodies of her friends in the darkness before Bodhi shook her shoulder to keep her from screaming out.

PTSD was no real stranger to her, but during her time at the Rebellion the dreams had begun to fade away. The first peaceful night she'd had was one where she'd fallen asleep with Cassian's arm thrown loosely around her waist. She considered it a sign of emotional stress that the dreams were returning.

"Do you think you can make it further today?" Bodhi asked. She could see he was guarding his expression carefully. He knew she would push herself if he asked, but was worried about the consequences.

"I will do my best." Jyn replied. And she would. Bodhi set his jaw and nodded, then turned and began to gather their meager possessions. He handed Jyn their makeshift waterskin, made up of a concave rock they'd found by their last water source, a stream that had ended in a clear pool several miles back. She drank, then handed it back to Bodhi, who drank the rest. He paused, seeming to wrestle with the idea of leaving the heavy stone where they'd camped.

"Just drop it, we'll find something else." Jyn said, mopping her brow. Bodhi dropped the stone, then gave her a tight-lipped smile that she returned.

"Today's the day." Was all he said before disappearing into the underbrush ahead. Jyn pulled in a deep breath, then followed.

* * *

Cassian turned again, restlessly, unable to sleep peacefully.

"Would you fucking knock it off?" Han Solo's dry voice came through the darkness of their cell.

"I can't help it." Cassian replied. He was surprised the smuggler had broken his ongoing silence just to tell him to stop shuffling.

It was hard to tell how many days they'd been locked in the underbelly of the imperial ship, cruising god-knows-where to god-knows-what. Han had barely said two words to him and the silence and frustration were starting to wear on them both.

He'd had a lot of time to brood on his course of action once off this cruiser - and they would get off the cruiser, _soon._ He was going to scour the stars for Jyn and make things fucking right, if it took every last ounce of strength in him.

There was a hard pang of hunger in his stomach as he rolled over once more, making his head hurt in response. His strength was ebbing away quickly lost in this cell. He could tell Han was taking precautions to preserve his own strength, stretching and doing calisthenics to stay in shape. Cassian couldn't make himself move beyond a few paced circles before he felt exhaustion and desperation set back in.

He kept telling himself that when the time came, he would be able to escape. He just needed an opportunity. But deep in the pit of his stomach, Cassian suspected he couldn't do it alone...

* * *

Jyn let out a ragged cry as her ankle twisted on a rock, tossing her to the ground. Her elbows, knees and palms burned. Her ankle was like hot fire.

"Jyn!" Bodhi cried, limping over to her as she lay stunned on the path behind him. She tried to force herself to move, to tell him she was okay, but all that came out were ragged, dry sobs.

"Shh, shh..." Bodhi gathered her up and tried his best to comfort her as she cried. It was the first time she'd fallen prey to the crushing depression of their situation, and she knew he was close to his breaking point as well. She held her stomach with both hands, feeling so hopeless...

"Freeze. Hands where I can see them."

A tall humanoid emerged from the foliage, blaster leveled straight at them. Bodhi and Jyn didn't have to exchange a look to know exactly what they were faced with.

A bounty hunter.

* * *

Cassian and Han got their chance for escape sooner than expected. Their solitary confinement was ended one day (or night?) when the door whooshed open, nearly blinding them with light from the hallway.

At first, Cassian barely registered what was happening. He barely surfaced from his feverish dreams before he was being hauled up by Han and dragged out the door. In the hallway, a group of storm-troopers waited, blasters cocked and ready in case they tried anything.

"When I say, get ready to do these guys in." Han growled. Cassian could barely react, which worked in their favor. His head flopped down. "Just look dead, let me do the talking."

Cassian was half frog-marched, half dragged down a long hallway, his legs barely working underneath him.

"Hey, hey metal-heads." Han's voice came from next to him. "My friend doesn't look so good. He looks like he's half-dead." Cassian let out a rib-rattling cough that was only half faked.

"Keep moving." One of the storm-troopers said, hitting Cassian in the back with his blaster. Cassian teetered and fell flat on his face, nearly taking Han with him.

"C'mon, fellas. He's dead weight." Han panted.

"Get these two to medical, get them cleaned up before their audience with Lord Vader." The head storm-trooper said to the others. He gestured to one of the other troopers. "You, tell the Admiral that they'll be late."

Han nearly chuckled at the storm-trooper's obvious ambivalence about that idea. He could imagine the Admiral wouldn't be pleased. Less so when they escaped from under their noses.

They changed course, making their way to wherever Med Bay was. Han kept looking down at Cassian, who looked much the worse for wear from their long confinement. Another bad cough slipped out his pale lips. Han was beginning to doubt he'd even make it to the Med Bay, let alone down to the hangar and off the ship.

"Get yourself together." Han hissed as they entered a lift and began to descend the levels.

"I can do it." Cassian panted. He was sweating.

They exited the lift, went down one hallway, then entered a room of whirring, flashing medical equipment. Han pretended to stumble, dropping Cassian.

"Back on your feet!" the lead trooper barked. Han rolled over, the trooper's blaster suddenly in his hands.

Chaos ensued.


	9. Chapter 9

A scant 45 minutes later, Cassian found himself in the cockpit of an unmarked vessel stolen from the imperial destroyer's hangar. Han was piloting them around the asteroid belt just outside the Dorina cluster.

"Looks like there's a station on the opposite side of this planet, we can exchange the ship, get you to a medbay, and then I'm dumping your ass on Hoth." Han said. Cassian pulled himself out of the fog he was feeling to fix the smuggler in a confused gaze.

"But, you said-"

"Shut up." Han cut him off coldly. Cassian felt his chest constrict. He pushed himself up and to the back of the craft, trying to get his panicking mind under control. He couldn't focus, couldn't think-

A fist connected with his jaw and he slumped against the wall of the ship. Han loomed over him.

"Now that we're out of that pit, I'm going to tell you what I think, Andor. I think your little act is pitiful. If you cared about Jyn Erso as much as you say you do now, you wouldn't have gotten yourself in this mess and fucked yourself up so bad pining over her."

"Please..." Cassian found himself begging.

"I told you before, I'll tell you again. I'm not going to let an abuser back at a decent woman."

Cassian fixed Han in suddenly watering eyes.

"Jyn is the most decent woman I've ever had. I need to try to make it right." He whispered. Han stared down at him, expression unchanging. Then the smuggler turned on his heel and went back to the cockpit. Cassian slumped to the floor and let the pain in his jaw roll over him until his eyes closed.

Next thing he knew, he was being pulled roughly to his feet. Han was taking him down the gangway, mostly dragging him at this point. His jaw throbbed, matching the aches in his stomach and head. He let his head loll as Han took him to medical.

When he regained consciousness again, he had a feeding tube down one nostril and needles in his arm. A medbot was tending to his vitals on a monitor. Han leaned against the wall.

"Dammit, Andor." Was all he said when he noticed Cassian's eyes slid open. Cassian ignored him and let them fall shut again.

Han looked down at the black market commlink he'd found in the Dorina marketplace. He'd been sending encrypted messages out on all Rebellion frequencies he knew about, hoping someone would pick them up. Just when he'd thought he'd bought a piece of junk, he'd gotten a reply.

K-2 had been secretly monitoring Rebellion airwaves since Han and Cassian had so rudely left him with the transports to Hoth. He couldn't help but feel obligated, even if he was miffed at Cassian's behavior. He'd found the sloppily disguised transmissions instantly, and had no doubts as to who it could be. Within seconds he had transmitted a patchy reply in the same coding.

Han looked at the message he received curiously.

 **DO NOT RETURN TO REBEL BASE**

 **FIND JYN ERSO**

 **TOP PRIORITY PER COMMAND**

 **IMMINENT HEALTH CONDITION**

He quicklytapped out a reply asking the nature of the condition.

 **MATERNITY**

 **CASSIAN ANDOR POSITIVE PATERNAL MATCH**

Han stared at the commlink in absolute disbelief.

* * *

Jyn and Bodhi had no idea where they were. Bags had been put over their heads as soon as the bounty hunter took them, a chain attached to their now bound hands. Bodhi had reached out blindly for Jyn and found her hand as they were shuffled through the jungle, but the bounty hunter quickly tugged them apart.

Gradually the terrain became sandier, and the sounds of spacecraft became more audible. Then came the sounds of people shouting, animals making noise. An outdoor market of some sort. Jyn's hopes leapt. With an onslaught of people came the chance of possible escape.

"Bodhi." She hissed. The bounty hunter hit her in the back with his rifle, keeping them moving forwards. With a sickening feeling, she realized she might have to make her move alone.

* * *

Cassian was up and running in only a few hours. He looked like hell, but he wasn't stumbling around now that he had some nutrients in him and a dose of painkillers. Han transferred the necessary credits to the medbots and started back to the ship without checking to see if Andor was following. Han had to do some serious re-evaluation.

"Have you charted the course back to Hoth?" Cassian asked him, suddenly right at his heels.

"No." Han replied. "We're staying here for the moment."

Cassian stopped.

"Why? Have you heard something?"

"Maybe." Han replied.

Cassian jogged to keep up as Han cut across the main square of the huge Dorina marketplace. The black market was the main draw here, selling everything from illegal poisons and weapons to slaves and exotic companions.

Cassian ran straight into a hooded figure, nearly knocking them to the ground.

"Sorry..." A somewhat familiar voice said. A tall bounty hunter pointed his gun at Cassian, who backed away, hands up. He looked and noticed two figures following the bounty hunter, chained to a loop on his hip. They had bags over their heads. Slaves. He turned away and ran to catch up with Han.

Something nagged at him, a gut feeling. He chanced one last glance over his shoulder at the slaves now being lead away by the bounty hunter. Then he saw it. A flash of metal below the waist. A metal leg. The pieces came together.

"Han!" He shouted. He was off before the smuggler could reply, darting through the crowd.

* * *

Jyn felt her breathing escalate as they moved through the square. She didn't know what had happened to Bodhi, only that someone must have knocked into him. The bounty hunter was tugging them along now, faster and faster. There was no way to know where they were going.

They made a few twisting turns, then abruptly stopped.

"Two good ones. Lost ones." The bounty hunter growled to someone. Bodhi pressed closer to Jyn, trying to shield her with his frame. Jyn didn't move, muscles tensed and ready for an opportunity to arise. They were being sold as slaves, not as wanted persons. This could work in their favor.

"Hoods off." A low voice said, presumably whoever the bounty hunter was dealing with. The hoods were roughly pulled away from their faces, and Jyn blinked in the bright light of the market. They were standing in a deserted alleyway, the dealer sizing them up and down.

"The female." The hooded dealer said, a gloved hand pointing at Jyn. She was pushed forwards, away from Bodhi. He protested, but she lifted a hand to silence him. This was the opportunity she needed to get them both free.

The gloved hand snaked out and gripped her chin, turning her face from side to side. The voice that hissed out from under the hood made her skin crawl.

"She looks like a good breeder. I'll give 500 credits."

The bounty hunter made to protest, but two men stepped out nearby doorways, heavy rifles on their shoulders. The slave dealer had money. He fell silent. Maybe he wasn't a bounty hunter after all...

"Your offer is most generous." The hunter said, his voice dripping with mock respect. He took the offered stack of credits, handed over the leashes, and turned on his heel. The hoods went with him, and Jyn's heart rate increased. They just had to get back into the bustling market again, and she would make the move.

She could hardly believe her luck as they were pulled down the alleyway in the opposite direction than they'd come before. But the sounds of shouting and bustle were coming closer. They were going to enter the market from a different angle. Jyn set her lips in a determined line and continued to wait for the moment to strike.

* * *

Cassian ran like he hadn't in a long time. The bounty hunter and his charges had disappeared from the square, but he thought he could see the alleyway they'd ducked into. He ran silently into the corridor and then slowed his pace, sense on high alert.

"You want to tell me what's _fucking going on?!"_ Han hissed behind him, just catching up.

"I saw them. That slave I walked into was _Bodhi!"_ Cassian continued jogging, Han at his side.

"Are you sure, because if this is some-"

"I saw the leg, Han. And his voice was familiar. I know, I just _know-"_ He stopped, holding up his hand. There were voices around the corner.

 _"The female, she looks like a good breeder. I'll give 500 credits."_ A disgusting, hissing voice was saying. Then there was the sound of guns cocking. They sounded big. Then shuffling footsteps heading back their way.

"Get ready." Cassian hissed. Han pressed one of his spare blasters into Cassian's palm.

A second later, the bounty hunter raced around the corner. Cassian had his hand over the hunter's mouth and Han had his blaster leveled on him. The hunter didn't struggle. Obviously not much of a bounty hunter.

"We'll let you live in exchange for some information about those two you just sold."

"Anything." The man gasped.

"Where did you find them?"

"Wandering the jungle, honest. I didn't think much of them. I know nothing, I swear."

"Were there others?"

"Just the lady and the gent with the metal leg."

Cassian let the hunter go. This was just a slave trader looking tough. There wasn't any bone in him for all his look of a bounty hunter. The trader scuttled away without a second glance.

"We have to." Cassian said, leveling with Han. For once, the Corellian didn't object, just nodded.

Cassian looked around the corner. The other trader and his two charges were already gone.

"We have to go!" He hissed at Han. They broke into a dead sprint down the alley. Cassian prayed to the stars that he hadn't missed his chance. He was so close.

* * *

They dumped out into the market place, and their new owners pulled them along at a quick pace. People swarmed all around, not paying them much mind. Jyn saw they were headed across the square to another alleyway. She began counting, slowing her steps. Instinctively, Bodhi began to walk slightly ahead of her, parting the crowd so she could get through. Jyn let slack form at her leash, then the instant the lead guard disappeared into the alleyway, she pulled as hard she could on the leash.

Around her, chaos ensued. The moment she pulled the leash out of the guard's hand, wild blaster fire erupted in the square. Before too many people could dive to the ground, she turned and began to run through the crowds, pulling her leash up into her hands as she went. She could hear Bodhi calling her name, then a cry of pain silenced him. Jyn pushed away the fear and bile crowding her throat. She had to keeping going. She darted down another alleyway, through a doorway, and pounded down the next street, running as fast as she could push herself. She could still hear the chaos in the square, but she forced herself to keep going until the sounds were far in the distance.

* * *

Cassian dumped out of the alleyway into the market square just as the slavers pulled Bodhi and Jyn towards the doorway directly across the square. Cassian only saw the back of her head, but it was enough to make his breath catch.

Then, in only a matter of seconds, Jyn wrenched on her chains, pulling them straight out of her captor's hand. Cassian didn't think, only began firing his blaster to give her cover. Jyn took off as the crowded market scattered. Cassian felt breathless, watching her. She was out of sight in a second. Then he realized she'd completely abandoned Bodhi, who was now laying in the middle of the square. Cassian looked at Han, who had joined the firefight and quickly dispatched the slave guards.

"Did you shoot him?!" Bodhi asked. Han frowned. Cassian darted across the square to Bodhi, who was lying prone on the sand.

"Bodhi, old friend." He said. Bodhi opened his eyes.

"Cassian. Cassian, you found us." He panted. Cassian saw blood spilling across the thigh of his good leg. No other wounds. He'd be okay, once he got some medical attention.

"Cassian, Jyn- She ran. I don't know-" Bodhi's head lolled back before he could finish.

"Stay with him!" Cassian barked to Han. He sprinted towards the alleyway he'd seen Jyn disappear down. He pushed himself as far as he could, but the road twisted and turned, and soon he found himself lost. He looked around helplessly, uninvited tears pricking his eyes.

Jyn was gone.


	10. Chapter 10

Jyn didn't stop until she reached the outskirts of town. Then she began searching for something - _Anything_ \- she could steal and pilot off Dorina. But first, clothes. She snatched a long cloak off a market stall as she pushed through.

Up ahead, a shuttle was being unloaded at what looked to be a public terminal. It was tiny, but space-worthy. Jyn moved stealthily towards it, waiting until the small number of passengers were completely disembarked, then she stole up the gangway.

It was easier than she could have hoped. The pilot was knocked out in one quick punch, his body tossed into the sand. She was piloting off Dorina before she even knew it. Her heart soared.

Only when she reached the blackness of space, Dorina completely behind her, did she realize that she had no idea where she was going. She was completely alone.

Did she risk returning to The Rebellion? She had no idea if they were still stationed on Hoth, but it was worth a shot...

Or was this her chance to turn away and start a new life?

She looked out at the stars, hand fluttering down to her rounded stomach. Her pregnancy would be unmistakable in only a matter of weeks. And then there was the matter of ensuring her child's safety... She'd been doing great on that so far.

To her surprise, tears began welling up in her eyes. It wasn't fair. This baby deserved to be raised by two people who weren't caught in the middle of a war, who could give it a life of happiness and security. Cassian couldn't give them anything close to that, nor would she even give him the opportunity.

But if she was going to start over, she had to get money. She wouldn't get far without anything to support herself.

She racked her brains, trying to think of anyone who owed her favors in this quadrant... Nothing. Most of her contacts had been rendered null and void when she publicly sided with The Resistance and became a war hero.

Then she remembered. In her Rebellion account, there was the remainder of the modest award she'd been given for damages sustained at Scariff. It would be enough to last for a short time, while she got her feet under her. But how to get it? She wasn't good enough at hacking to break into Rebellion accounts.

But she knew someone who was.

It was a long shot, but she had to try. She flipped open the communicator and began a coded transmission on one of the more obscure Rebellion frequencies.

 **K2**

 **NEED SCARIFF REWARD**

 **TRANSFER TO ACCT 3-345-32-97**

 **NO QUESTIONS**

 **J**

To her surprise, it was only minutes until the communicator beeped in reply.

 **J**

 **DONE**

 **COME HOME SOON**

 **YOUR FRIEND**

Her eyes welled again, causing her to huff in anger at her betraying emotions. It had to be hormones. She'd never gotten emotional about a robot before.

Her credit pad beeped, signaling an incoming balance of several hundred credits. K-2 had her back. She set a course for a less inhabited system, trying hard to put the past behind her. She was done with the Alliance for good.

* * *

Han ducked into a deserted alleyway and flipped his communicator open.

 **J HEADED FOR OTHER SYSTEM**

 **TOOK MONEY**

 **WILL UPDATE**

Han pursed his lips and frowned. This was getting more convoluted. He hadn't guessed Jyn would bolt first chance she got, seemingly leaving Bodhi out on his ass. It was out of character even for her.

But then... She probably was in flight mode. He didn't know Jyn very well, but she had never struck his as the type to turn out maternal. She didn't seem like the romantic type. But everyone makes mistakes.

He shot a glance out into the courtyard where Cassian was pacing around the portable medbot busy stitching up Bodhi's leg. He couldn't see it... He didn't have any particular love for Jyn Erso, she'd done her fair share of double dealing and he wasn't sure being a war hero erased all that history. But now that he'd seen right through Cassian's character, he felt sorry for her carrying around his kid. She didn't deserve to go through that alone.

So where did Han stand? Was he going to let Cassian go back to Jyn and keep pulling the same crap he'd been pulling? Did he deserve to father that kid? Did Jyn even want him back in her life after what had gone down between them?

And then there was another matter. One he had refrained from bringing up to Cassian, but was the main driving force behind his next move.

The Falcon was still somewhere on one of the destroyers. He had no way of knowing which one. They hadn't been able to find out anything about it during their escape. _HIS SHIP_ was being held by the Empire and they knew he'd come back for her eventually. And that bothered him. It explained why he and Cassian had escaped so easily on the piece of junk shuttle they had.

He needed the falcon back before he stepped foot anywhere near The Princess and The Rebellion. If she found out he'd lost his ship on a failed rescue mission, he'd never hear the end of it. But without the Falcon, they were vulnerable. He needed an Alliance ship to get them on the track to finding HIS ship.

But if they returned to base, would they tell Cassian about Jyn's condition?

Han looked back at the communicator and made a decision. He coded another transmission to K-2.

 **SEND J MY FREQ**

He waited, doubting Jyn would take the bait. He was surprised when the communicator made a beep.

 **LEAVING**

 **DO NOT FOLLOW**

He tapped out the reply.

 **TELL C?**

The med bot was finishing on Bodhi, Cassian was calling his name.

 **NO**

He was hardly surprised. The comm beeped once more.

 **WILL STAY IN CONTACT ON THIS FREQ**

Han shut the comm with a grim smile. He would respect her authority on the matter. If she didn't want her status known, he'd do damn well to make sure The Rebellion didn't blow it for her. That was what smugglers did for fellow smugglers.

Cassian eyed the comm in Han's hand.

"News?"

Han shook his head.

"We're going to Hoth."

* * *

Jyn looked at the massive orange world looming ahead of her. She'd remembered someone who could help her. He owed her one last favor for transporting something of great importance for him a few years back... Han had been on that transport gig with her.

Cloud City loomed at the corner of her monitor. An escort sidled in on either side of her transport, guiding her to Lando's private dock. She rubbed her stomach as a thrill of excitement rolled through her. It was a relief to see stability on the horizon.

After a quick docking procedure, Jyn jogged out of her tiny shuttle. Lando was already striding towards her, white teeth glittering in his dark face.

"Jyn Erso. I thought the Empire had got you a long time ago." They grasped arms.

"Not yet. But maybe someday." She laughed, relief pouring over her. "I need a favor."

* * *

Hoth loomed in front of the crappy stolen shuttle, failing to bolster the mood of her crew. Bodhi had been sitting in absolute silence since they'd embarked, refusing to meet any of Cassian's advances at conversation. Han had been likewise quiet, not wanting to give anything up. When Cassian had gotten up to go into the hold and find them some rations, Han had pulled out his communicator and sent a quick code to Jyn.

 **ON H-H**

 **BODHI SAFE**

She hadn't replied. Han couldn't help but feel annoyance. He didn't like being in the middle of this. He shot a glance at Bodhi.

"Everyone knows about Jyn except Cassian. She doesn't want him to know." He growled. Bodhi heaved a huge sigh.

"Thank fucking god."

Han turned around to the pilot, just now noticing how thoroughly wrung out he looked.

"I can't believe she just left me. After all we'd been through. I'd pretended it was mine for so long, I thought I'd get to be there."

Cassian clattered back into the cockpit, handing out ration packets. Bodhi settled back into his chair and went back to moody silence.

The comm on the dashboard beeped, signaling incoming Rebellion communication.

"Go ahead Rebel Base." Han said into the comm. "Give the Princess my regards."

A second later, Leia's voice poured out of the comm, berating them all for the stupidity of their actions. Han couldn't help but smile.

"Good to see you too, Your Highness."

* * *

Jyn looked around her new quarters in Cloud City. Lando had furnished her rooms simply, not to excess.

"Anything you want, you get to have it." Lando said from behind her. "I take care of my friends."

"Thank you..." Jyn said, taking in her surroundings. She hadn't had something so stable in a long time.

"So, what's the deal?" Lando finally said. "Who are you running from? The Hutts? The Empire?"

Jyn debated with herself. Did she tell him? He'd find out eventually anyways. It was Lando. Charming, not stupid.

She pulled the cloak from around her shoulders, revealing the slight bump visible at her midsection. Lando frowned and pursed his lips.

"I'm not gonna ask. You're welcome to stay for as long as you need."

Jyn let a small smile of gratitude slide through her demeanor.

* * *

As soon as he was off the transport, Han went in search of Princess Leia. He didn't have to look far. She was practically running towards him, dressed in a little white vest and snowpants. The hangar was colder than he thought it'd be.

"I need to talk to you." He said in a low voice, taking her elbow and steering her back the way she came. "Now."

Leia barely protested, but once they were alone in a hallway, she let loose on him.

"Of all the stupid, unpredictable things-"

"We found Jyn." Han growled. Leia snapped her mouth shut. "I know about the baby."

"Is she with you?" Leia asked. Han shook his head.

"Cassian doesn't know. And she wants to keep it that way. She gave us the slip on Dorina and is headed somewhere else."

"Do you have contact with her?" Leia asked, eyeing the comm on his belt.

"Yes. But are you listening to me? Cassian can't know." He took Leia's shoulder.

"Look, Your Worship. I owed Jyn for some stuff we did back in the day. I consider this debt paid in full. Unless she says, no one is coming anywhere near her."

Leia blinked up at him, her brown eyes concerned.

"I need your help. You need to control the information. And there's something else."

"What is it?" Leia asked. They had moved closer together, he could feel the soft heat radiating off her small body. He couldn't help reaching out to her. She tilted her head up ever so slightly.

"I'm... glad to see you back safe." She whispered. Then she shook herself, the usual haughty mask falling back into place. She turned away from him, but Han grabbed her hand and pulled her to his chest, planting a hard kiss on her lips before she could protest. The icy corridor flamed with heat. After a moment, he pulled away. The Princess looked shell-shocked, verging on angry again.

"I need you to help me find my ship."


	11. Chapter 11

Jyn sighed looked out the window at the endless traffic of Cloud City. Her hands were absently rubbing her stomach, which she thought had ballooned in size since she'd arrived on Bespin a month previously. Having adequate food and water had done wonders for her body and the baby, and she had to grudgingly concede that the size of her body for four months of pregnancy was relatively normal.

Lando had provided for her every need, anticipating anything she should ask for. She didn't need much, just spent her time reading or writing in her quarters. Lando would come and sit with her every evening after his dinner plans, reading papers or notices from his work. It was quiet and companionable, he left her out of his boisterous social and work life, she kept to herself as she brooded.

Jyn wasn't used to so much inaction, but she knew she shouldn't complain. She was safe and secure, her baby would be well-provided for. It couldn't last forever, but she was all right for now. But the thought of moving off on her own gave her an idea she needed to talk to Lando about.

When Lando came in that night, his brow was creased. He immediately set to his holopad and was typing furiously.

"What's the matter?" Jyn asked him.

"I have a shipment I need to get out to the Pleurian system. A valuable one. But the Empire is blocking my usual routes. No smuggler will take it."

Jyn's heart leapt. This was exactly what she'd wanted to bring up to Lando.

"Let me do it." She said. "Give me a modest fee, and I'll get it to Pleuria."

Lando looked at her like she'd just suggested taking a swim in Jabba the Hutt's famous Sarlacc pit.

"You're... pregnant. There's no way in hell I'm going to let you run a blockade."

"Let me do it. I'll be there and back in a few days. No trouble."

Lando chewed his lip, but Jyn knew she'd won. Money always won with Lando, even if she believed his concern was genuine.

"1,000 credits. You hurt yourself or that kid, I'm locking you up." He growled.

Three hours later, Jyn was settled behind the controls of a transporter ship Lando had gotten from somewhere. Her heart thrummed, matching the tiny flutter of movement she'd begun to feel that morning underneath the skin of her stomach. Not quite a kick, but nearly there.

* * *

Cassian jogged around the halls of Echo Base, sweat rolling down his neck. His morning runs staved off cabin fever in the tiny Hoth settlement and slowly worked his body back to fitness after their time on the Imperial Destroyer.

He slowed and leaned against a chilly wall made out of ice as the rest of the base was. He coughed, gasping for breath. He hadn't shaken the cough yet, it persisted at night and when exerted. Luke kept prompting him to go to the medbay, but Cassian resisted.

In the month that had passed since they'd returned to Hoth, Han had been completely distanced from him and Luke both. If it bothered the young Skywalker, he hadn't said so. He'd cheerfully latched on to Cassian instead, and to his surprise Cassian found that he liked the other man's company more than before.

"You almost lost me!" Came Luke's chipper voice from around the corner. He jogged into view. Cassian coughed again and reached out an arm. Luke grasped it and then pulled up his tunic to wipe his face of sweat. Luke had been following him on his morning runs whether Cassian liked it or not. It was like having a very talkative puppy on his heels.

"Hey, Han!" Luke chirped, waving down the hall. The Corellian was headed towards them. Cassian nodded in greeting, noticing it wasn't returned.

"Command is looking for you. Something about unknown sensors being deployed to the surface. Looking for volunteers to go out and check them out." Han said to Luke.

"Well, nothing starts the week like snow and ice." Luke replied, heading off down the hallway immediately.

"Nothing gets him down." Cassian remarked, smiling a little.

"Yeah, they don't call him The Rebellion's brightest for nothing." Han replied.

Cassian pursed his lips together and Han cleared his throat.

"You still hate me." Cassian said quietly.

"I don't hate you, kid. I think you're stupid." Han replied, crossing his arms.

"Don't mistake me. I've been biding my time here, but I haven't forgotten about Jyn. I'm not going to stop looking for her. To make things right."

Something passed over Han's face, but it was gone as soon as Cassian noticed. The older smuggler turned on his heel and walked off down the hall without a reply. Cassian turned away himself, moving to follow Luke to base command. Tension roiled in his stomach.

* * *

Jyn was en route back to Bespin when the first twinge of pain occurred. She shook it off, then a moment later it happened again, a sort of cramping feeling. Her blood went cold. Something was wrong.

The mission had been routine, she'd used an old smuggler's route to evade the Empire, making the drop quickly and covertly to Pleuria. The Pleurians were more than willing to unload the cargo for her, giving her a credit bonus for completing the route so quickly and smoothly. It had been a piece of cake.

Quickly, she pulled up her maps. The nearest medical Poliss was only a short way away, and wouldn't take her too near to the Imperial fleet. She punched in the coordinates and tried not to let anxiety overwhelm her. The cramps continued to come and go, making her heart skip every time one peaked.

* * *

Cassian squinted out into the roiling blizzard. He had no idea what had happened... One minute, he'd been out on his tauntaun with Luke only 100 yards from him, then next, he'd been knocked into the snow and when he awoke, Luke was gone. His tauntaun had been mauled to death. The only thing he could surmise was that some ice-creature had jumped out of the swirling snow and attacked them, taking Luke with him. Cassian had no idea how to save Luke, or even how he would survive. His gear was barely functioning in the storm. He'd salvaged his pack from the tauntaun, but it wouldn't help him much.

He had to try and find Luke first, then worry about their survival.

* * *

Jyn laid on the examination table, cold air stinging her skin. Medbots floated around her lower half, beeping and whirring. They hadn't told her anything yet.

"Your baby is healthy." A bot said in its robotic voice. "We have stopped the bleeding and re-affixed the placenta to the uterine wall. Recommend bed rest."

Jyn let out a sigh of relief, tears spilling down the sides of her face.

"Would you like to know the sex of your child?" Another bot said. It gestured to a monitor that showed a sonar reading of her belly. A tiny, froglike being was resting there, curled in itself. Jyn felt her heart begin to race.

* * *

Cassian dragged Luke through the snow, trying to find a clearer place to set up shelter. He hadn't even seen his companion until he knocked right into him. A few inches to the right and Cassian probably wouldn't have even seen Skywalker in the blizzard. The younger man was mumbling something incoherent, frozen blood caked on his face and head.

At first, Cassian thought that his eyes were playing tricks on him. He saw something moving towards them in the distance, but it couldn't be right. There was no one else out here. Him and Luke had been the last scouts out of the base.

Again, he could barely make it out until it was on top of them. A tauntaun, and a blue-coated figure on top of it.

"Andor! Luke!" A familiar voice said. Han. Han Solo had come to their rescue. The smuggler disembarked and stumbled over to where Cassian was practically holding Luke up.

"What's wrong with him?" Han yelled over the wind.

"I don't know! Something attacked us!" Cassian shouted back.

Suddenly, Han's tauntaun began to cry out in distress, stumbling and finally falling to the ground, dead.

"It's too cold!" Han shouted. Cassian ground his teeth at the situation. God damn it, he was not going to die in a snowstorm.

"Use Luke's lightsaber! Cut the tauntaun open before it freezes!" He shouted. Han looked at him like he was crazy, then understood. He executed the plan in a matter of moment, stuffing Luke's prone body into the tauntaun's steaming guts. Cassian felt bile roll in his throat. It was disgusting, but necessary.

* * *

Jyn stared at the monitor for a full minute, watching the baby twitch and wriggle. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the life that was growing inside her.

"We will give you one moment." The medbot chirped. She nodded slowly, reaching out to touch the monitor.

She couldn't describe the emotions that had run through her in the last few hours. She didn't know that she was so attached to the idea of the tiny human being growing inside her, the absolute fear that flooded her at the possibility of its demise was new and shocking. She'd never had something so utterly helpless and dependent on her for survival, and that filled her with a sort of proud anxiety that was hard to come to terms with.

"Doctor," She called. "Don't tell me the baby's sex. I think I'd like it to be a surprise."

* * *

"You look strong enough to pull the ears off a gundark." Han Solo remarked, grinning. Luke sat up a little straighter in his medical bed and grinned.

"A little frostbite can't take him down." Cassian added, coming in to stand by Luke's bed. He noticed Leia enter behind him and cleared his throat. Han turned.

The Princess had him in a glare as icy as the planet's core. She'd been absolutely livid to find out that Han had snuck out of the base to come to their rescue. Though, Cassian supposed, more to Luke's rescue than his. But with the way Han had been acting recently, he'd been absolutely surprised at the gesture of heroics.

Leia and Han faced down for a moment.

"Well, Your Worship. I guess you found a way to keep me around a little while longer."

"I had nothing to do with it." Leia spat back at him.

Cassian's ears pricked up at this conversation. Han was planning to leave? Leia continued, something about an energy shield.

"I think you just couldn't bear to let a gorgeous guy like me out of your sight." Han said, a cocky expression completely consuming his face.

"I don't know where you get your delusions, laser-brain." Leia said. An emotionless mask was sliding over her features. Chewbacca made a chuffing noise that was very obviously laughter.

"Laugh it up, fuzzball." Han said to his friend, who had not yet forgiven him for leaving Rebel Base without him _Twice._

Han turned back to the Princess, gearing up for something stupid to come rolling out of his mouth. Cassian inwardly groaned.

"You didn't see us in the south passage the other day." Han continued. "Her highness expressed her true feelings for me."

Leia had had it with Han's prickishness. She slapped away the arm that was trying to snake around her shoulders.

"Must have hit pretty close to some mark to get her all riled up, huh?" Han said under his breath. Cassian and Luke winced in tandem as Leia's raged escaped across her face.

"Well, I guess you don't know everything about women." She moved forwards and pulled Cassian in for a very one-sided passionate kiss. Cassian pushed away none too gently, shocked. Leia's stunt had exactly the effect she was seeking from Han; the smuggler turned on his heel and slammed out of the medbay. Cassian gave Leia and Luke a dark look and followed the smuggler out.

Han stormed through the halls, hitting walls as he passed. Cassian had never seen him lose control so completely before.

"Han!" He yelled. "Stop!"

Han stopped short so suddenly that Cassian nearly slammed into him.

"Don't think that I had anything to do with what just happened." Cassian said in a low voice, his eyes searching Han's face.

"You're always at the center of the problem, aren't you though?" Han spat. Cassian blinked.

"Why are you projecting your anger onto me, huh? I haven't done shit to you!" He made the mistake of grabbing Han's collar and giving him a shake.

"Let go of me, before I hurt you." Han told him in a dangerous tone. Cassian released him, then came back in.

"What has you on my case all the goddamn time, huh?" He hissed.

"You know what." Han replied.

"You still think I'm the scum of the Earth because I confided in you that I'd made a mistake? Has nothing I've done since made it clear to you that I want to make amends?"

Han rolled his eyes and pushed away from Cassian. Clearly the conversation was over.

"Stay away from Leia." He threw over his shoulder before disappearing into the hangar bay.

Cassian ran his hands through his long hair, then lashed out at the wall. His fist connected with the solid ice with a resounding smack that made his whole arm vibrate with pain. He swore and leaned his head against the wall, clutching his fist between his legs as the pain throbbed through his fingers.

* * *

Jyn requested landing access to Lando's private pad. She was almost a half day overdue from her return. Lando would undoubtedly be furious.

She rounded the outbuildings and was about to begin docking procedure when she saw something that made her whole body run cold.

Sitting on Lando's private pad was a _very_ familiar hunk of space metal. What in god's name was the Millennium Falcon doing in Cloud City. Jyn quickly completed docking procedure and hurried off her ship before the gangway had even finished tracking out. Lando was already waiting. He looked thunderous.

"What is this?!" She hissed. "What is _he_ doing here?!"

"It's not him." Lando explained. "And where have you been?"

"I had to make a medical stop at a Poliss. Something was wrong with the baby."

"But you're fine." Lando looked her up and down. She nodded.

"What do you mean Han isn't here? He doesn't go anywhere without The Falcon."

Lando looked around furtively.

"The Empire is trying to lure Han here. They captured his ship, but he escaped. I don't know the details, but him and some space cowboy by the name of Andor were picked up and pulled an escape in the Dorina cluster."

Jyn blinked in surprise. Han and Cassian were working together? And they had been in Dorina? What where they doing there?

"Vader has me by the balls on this one, but I have a plan if Han really does show up here. I changed your name in the passenger manifesto, but I want you to keep to your quarters until they are gone. I don't want them to find out who you really are, and got forbid they find out whomever's kid you're carrying."

"It's Andor's." Jyn said absently.

"Andor? The one with Han? Is that Cassian Andor the war hero?"

She nodded. Lando exhaled sharply.

"That makes things much more complicated. The Empire can't know you're here. Give me the drop manifest and get to your quarters."

"Thank you." Jyn said earnestly. Lando nodded at her.

* * *

Rebel Base was falling apart. Cassian dodged chunks of ice falling from the ceiling and searched for any vessel still onboarding. Most were already lifting out of the hangar before it was too late. He heard a shout and whipped his head around.

In the back of the hangar was the vessel Han had recently acquired as his own on a supply run for the base. He'd retrofitted it during the month they'd been on Hoth and the thing ran pretty smoothly. He was tugging Princess Leia by the arm to the gangway. Cassian sprinted to the ship.

"Thank you." He panted at Han as he ran by, receiving only a nod in return. He jogged onboard and threw himself into a seat as the ship rocked and pitched with the cannon fire coming from above.

It had only been a matter of hours until the Empire had closed in, using air and ground attacks to bombard the base. Luke had flown out with the red squadron to take out some of the massive AT-AT's treading towards the base. Cassian had no idea what it looked like outside.

"The ion cannon is going to fire as many times as it can to cover the escaping vessels." Leia was saying over the sounds of the engines firing up. Han nodded, pressing buttons on the dashboard. Chewbacca chuffed and roared as the ship pitched again.

"I'm getting us out of here!" Han yelled. The ship lifted off, sending everyone tumbling as they blasted out of the hangar. They screamed away from Echo Base and into the atmosphere, following the tail end of the Rebel fleet.

"You have the hyperspace coordinates?" Leia asked. Han nodded tersely. He pressed a couple buttons and the hyperdrive began warming up. Ahead of them, the Rebel fleet began to disappear, leaping into hyperspace and away from the Imperial Fleet clustered in front of them.

Han threw the level to activate their jump. Nothing happened.

"I'm sorry, are we back on the Millennium Falcon?" Leia said sarcastically. Cassian resisted the urge to laugh hysterically. Han swore. The ship began to pitch as the Imperial destroyers shot at them. Han began evasive action.

"There's an asteroid belt only a few minutes away." Han said. "We'll lose them."

* * *

Jyn sat in her room, anxiety making her skin crawl. She'd heard nothing from Lando, only heard the sounds of heavy-booted storm troopers running past her door. She had no way to tell what was going on. Sensing her anxiety, the baby kicked hard. She tried to sooth it by rubbing her hands over the little fluttering kicks, but it didn't seem to calm either of them. She took out her kyber crystal necklace, rolling it between her palms. The effect was somewhat soothing. She could feel the warm energy pulsing from the small crystal, stronger than she remembered. It normally sat on her collarbone, sometimes warmer than other times, but never this hot.

She laid the crystal down on her belly, willing the warmth towards the little being there. The baby kicked at the crystal, hard. It seemed to get excited.

"Interesting that you can feel that." She said softly. She took the crystal away, the baby slowed its movements. She set the crystal aside and returned her hands to her stomach. She was acutely aware of the tiny human moving around, she could _feel_ its consciousness there. Jyn opened her eyes. She hadn't felt that way before. She wondered what it could mean.

* * *

"Lando." Han said.

"The Lando system?" Leia asked.

"Lando's not a system, he's a person. And he owes me one for a smuggling job Jyn and I did for him back in the day. We can get help there."

"You knew Jyn before the Alliance?" Cassian spoke up from the otherwise quiet ship.

"I thought she'd told you. We go way back. Worked a few high-brow smuggling jobs together when the money was scarce. She's the only other person I'd trust to fly The Falcon."

"She must have been different then." Cassian said pensively. Leia looked between the two men.

"I guess. Still hard-headed and brave. I think the war took a lot out of her spirit though."

Cassian was quiet, digesting this information. It made his chest ache a little. The ship was silent as Han and Leia exchanged glances, completely unnoticed by their companion.

The comm beeped, signaling the return of Han's hail to Cloud City. They wanted a voice communication. He flipped open a channel.

"This is Han Solo, requesting landing permission." He drawled. "I'm looking for Lando Calrissian."

"You have landing clearance at bay 2-7-3." Came a tinny voice on the other end.

"See? Lando and I go way back." Han said. Leia let out a held breath. Cassian felt something niggle at the back of his mind, a gut feeling. He didn't know what it meant. He pushed it away. Everything would be fine.


	12. Chapter 12

Jyn was going out of her mind. It had been hours since she'd heard anything outside her door. She had to get out and investigate or she would go crazy. What if there was trouble? Lando could use her help.

She opened her door and poked her head out, looking left and right. No one was in the corridor. She stole down the hall, heading to Lando's apartments. She would find more information there.

She was almost to his rooms when she heard multiple heavy boot treads ahead. Stormtroopers. Someone grabbed her arm and jerked her around a corner and through a door.

"Lando?" She gasped, turning around. Her eyes went wide.

"Bodhi?!"

Bodhi Rook looked down at her, his lips set in a hard line. He'd aged visibly in the last month since they'd seen each other, the creases in his formerly youthful face now more pronounced.

"What are you doing here?!" Jyn hissed.

"I've been searching for you." Bodhi replied. "I had to find you. You _left_ me. After I promised to be there for you!"

Guilt gnawed at Jyn's stomach. She knew what Bodhi had said, those endless nights on Dorina. That he would be there for her, he'd help her. But he wasn't who she needed. That's why she hadn't said anything. Hadn't kept him in the loop about her escape plan.

"Look, I get it. You wanted Cassian, not me. But you're going to need help. And I couldn't stand the thought of The Rebellion without..."

Bodhi trailed off, letting his eyes finish his sentence. Jyn was taken aback.

"Please." Bodhi said, reaching for her hand.

"I-I don't know, Bodhi."

He pressed his lips in a line.

"Let me help you get set up somewhere safe, then we can talk about it again. You're in danger if you stay here."

Jyn nodded.

"Do you have a ship?"

Bodhi shook his head. Jyn wondered how on Earth he'd even gotten there.

"No matter. I know where one is docked." Jyn held her hand out for the pistol strapped to Bodhi's hip, nodded, and then led the way to the Millennium Falcon.

* * *

The small knot of passengers from the Rebel Ship followed Lando amiably through the twists and turns of Cloud City. Han chatted his old friend up about this and that, not really paying attention to where they were going. Lando stopped in front of a door, and Han happened to notice something out the nearby window.

"Hey! That's my ship!" He pointed out the window to the dock below.

"I know." Lando said, his smile faltering. "Which is why I have to say I'm sorry." The door whooshed open to reveal Darth Vader sitting at a dining table. Han drew his blaster, but it was out of his hands before he knew it. Cassian's weapon was knocked out of his hands by the stormtrooper guard that poured out of the open door. They were overpowered in seconds. One of the troopers hit Han over the head with his blaster, knocking the smuggler out cold.

A bounty hunter stepped out of the shadows, Cassian recognized him from word of mouth only. Boba Fett. A Mandalorian who was notorious for his cruel and effective means of tracking down his bounties.

They were marched out of the dining room and down a passageway to a dark set of rooms. Han was strapped to a metal table, his head lolling.

"First, some fun." Boba Fett's tinny voice came from his Mandalorian helmet. Leia whimpered and grabbed Cassian's hand. Chewbacca was herded into a separate cell, his roaring audible over the noise of the torture device being heated up for Han. Han slowly swam to consciousness, then his eyes snapped open wide to see his body headed straight for the torture device as the table rotated to stand him up and then continued leaning him forwards and down over it.

Cassian gulped, knowing it was his turn next. He still could feel the needles of the torture droids on the Imperial Flagship. Leia cowered behind him.

"What about these two and the wookie?" He heard Lando saying to Vader.

"They are free for you to do with as you please." The mechanized voice said nonchalantly. "They are of no consequence to me."

Han's screaming drowned out anything else valuable Cassian could have gleaned from the situation.

* * *

Jyn and Bodhi stole through the hallways of Cloud City, seeing no one. It was surprising, given how busy the hallways had been before.

They rounded a corner, and Jyn couldn't help giving a cry of surprise as someone ran into her.

"Bodhi!" Came Luke Skywalker's voice.

"Luke?" She asked.

"Jyn!" He looked down at the person he was currently holding on her feet. Then he did a double take.

"You're-"

"Shut up." Jyn elbowed him in the stomach.

"Does Han know?" Luke asked, letting her go.

"Han? Yes, Han knows. It's Cassian we aren't telling. And I swear to god-"

"He's here." Luke said. Jyn felt her stomach drop. "He's here with Leia. I saw them. Vader's here too."

"What in the bloody fucking hell is going on?" Bodhi asked.

"It's a trap." Jyn breathed. "It has to be. The Falcon's here because they knew they could lure Han here with it. And they must have figured on Han bringing Leia, who would be perfect bait-"

"For me. Vader wants me." Luke finished. "Damn. I have to face him."

"Luke, no!" Jyn said, grabbing his arm as he began to move around them. "He's too powerful!"

"If you find yourself in need of a safe place. Find me again on Dagobah. And don't worry about me. I'll believe in The Force. I have to try to defeat him." Luke said. He turned and began to follow their path to the heart of Cloud City.

"May The Force be with you." Jyn said. Luke didn't reply, but she knew he heard her.

* * *

Cassian stared down at the frozen form of Han Solo, the carbonite mask of pain all that was left of his friend.

"He's still alive." Lando pronounced.

"Good. Reset the chamber for Skywalker. And get the others to my ship." Vader said, sweeping away.

"But you said-"

"I have altered the deal, pray I don't alter it any further." Were Vader's final words. Lando Calrissian bristled with anger.

Leia was holding onto Cassian's arm with a death grip, despite just professing her feelings for Han only moments before he was frozen. Cassian was astonished at her telling Han she loved him, even if he wasn't surprised at all by Han's reply.

They were herded out into the hall, stormtroopers and a colonel flanking them. Cassian desperately calculated their odds of escape, but it didn't look likely unless the had some help-

"Luke!" Leia shrieked suddenly. Cassian whirled and just barely saw Luke's face disappear around a corner in a barrage of fire from their captors. They were hustled on, the firefight continuing behind them.

"Luke, it's a trap!" Leia bawled, barely able to resist being dragged along with their party.

Cassian's mind continued to whirl. It was a trap... and Luke was actually here. Anxiety sprang into his throat. Luke was going to fight Vader.

* * *

Jyn and Bodhi leapt aboard the Millennium Falcon. It hadn't been guarded at all, which was unusual.

"Greetings." K-2's voice came from the ramp. "I was beginning to think you had left without me." He hopped nimbly into the Falcon's hallway.

"K-2. What are you doing here?" Jyn asked. "Why aren't you with Cassian?"

"Master Rook has commandeered my talents as an engineer and translator. I also hold basic medical knowledge, which should come in handy with your present condition."

"How the _fuck_ did you and K-2 sneak off Hoth without Cassian chasing your asses down.

"Jyn, I have to be honest. I haven't said more than two words to our _fine_ commander since he found me on Dorina. It wasn't hard to persuade K-2 to my cause." He sat down hard in the captain's seat, facing out the window. Jyn blinked in surprise. What had been going on in the Rebellion since she'd left?

"We should stay here, in case they need rescue." Bodhi said after a moment.

"No." Jyn said. "We're leaving."

"We can't just leave our friends!" Bodhi protested.

"I already did. You already did too. We're both defectors. Defectors don't have friends." Jyn shot back. Bodhi slammed his fist on the dashboard.

"We are not leaving them until we have to. That is final."

Jyn looked up, the ramp was still clear.

"I have to go back. I forgot something important. My credit pad."

"No." Bodhi said. "No, I'll come with you."

"It's important. I'll only be a minute. If the others are in trouble, I'll get them out here. Be ready to go. Without that credit pad, we can't start over."

Bodhi watched her helplessly as she ran off the ship as fast as she was able to go.

"I'm sorry, Bodhi." She whispered.

* * *

"Alright, the gig is up." Lando said, suddenly turning on the Imperial Officer. The stormtroopers raised their guns at him, but in an instant they were surrounded by Lando's personal guard. Cassian tugged a blaster out of a trooper's hands.

Lobot and the other guards began to move the Imperial soldiers off down the hallway, Lando pulled out a multitool and unlocked Chebacca's handcuffs. The moment he did, Chewie seized Lando around the neck.

"Give us one good reason we shouldn't turn you into goo." Leia said, shoving the nose of her own blaster in Lando's face.

"Ch-ch-ch-" Lando choked, hanging on to Chewbacca's paws for dear life.

"I'm going to secure us a way out here." Cassian barked, jogging away. He reached the end of the corridor and found an access panel. It took some jimmying, but he was able to access the status of The Falcon, and more importantly its location.

* * *

"Chewie, let him go." Leia finally said. Lando dropped back to his feet, holding his throat.

"I was trying to say, Jyn Erso is here in Cloud City." He hissed. Leia looked like she'd been slapped upside the head.

"What?" She stole a glance in the direction that Cassian had gone. "Why here?"

"She needed a safe place, money, and stability. I gave it to her because I owed her from that smuggling deal she did with Han back in the old days."

"All this time, she'd been right under our noses." Leia breathed. Then she blinked and lowered her blaster. "Where is she now?"

"I told her to stay in her quarters. It's on the floor beneath us." Lando said. "Do you want me to take you there before the Empire runs us down?"

"We better..." Leia said. "Having her safe is more important than blowing her cover."

"I need to hear this story. I can't believe that she-" He looked over in the direction Cassian had gone as well. "Never mind. Let's go."

Leia called to Cassian, who came sprinting down the hallway to them.

"The Falcon is on the adjoining bay."

"We know." Lando said dryly. "We have to pick up someone else on the way."

Just then, the sound of blaster fire began to sound from down the hall. They held up their own blasters and began to run down the hallway towards the nearest turbolift, barely reaching it before blaster shots began to arc around the corridor.

* * *

Jyn stole silently through the building, like she was going to her quarters, then abruptly turned and went down another hallway, jumping into the first lift she came to. She took it down to the lowest level, where she knew Lando kept a stash of small ships.

The little hangar was deserted, not even any of Lando's private security around. Jyn opened the cockpit of the first single-person fighter she could find and punched in the necessary exit codes. She'd hacked into Cloud City's private network her first week there and off loaded the master entrance and exit codes that would allow her in or out of the city without question. She owed Lando something great for his next birthday... If she ever saw him again.

"Don't worry." She said softly to her stomach as the bay door opened for her. "We'll find somewhere else."

And then she was out of the bay and into the clouds, which quickly turned into inky black space as she left Bespin's atmosphere.

"To Dagobah." She said definitively, pressing on the controls. Space around her blurred, and then she was gone.

* * *

"Cassian! Get to The Falcon. We'll meet you there." Leia said, gesturing to Lando.

"Where are you going?" Cassian yelled over his shoulder. Leia didn't answer, just let Lando lead her to Jyn's quarters.

They turned left, right, left again. Then Lando slammed his hand on the doorpad. It whooshed open.

"Jyn?" Lando called, running in and turning in a circle. He swore. "She's not here."

"Where is she?" Leia asked. Blaster fire sounded nearby.

Lando moved to the doorpad and typed in some characters. He studied the readout, his eyes widening.

"She's not here. Her biosignature left Bespin two minutes ago in one of my private ships."

* * *

Cassian jogged aboard the Millennium Falcon, whose ramp was already down. That seemed odd to him.

"Jyn?" A familiar voice called.

"Bodhi?" He answered. Bodhi emerged from the cockpit.

"Where's Jyn?" Bodhi asked.

"I don't know, she's not with you?" Cassian replied.

"She went back to get something. She's inside!" Bodhi shouted. Blaster fire zoomed out of the doors.

"Master Cassian. I suppose it is good to see you again." K-2 said. Cassian's eyes practically bugged out his head.

"Shields!" Cassian called over his shoulder to Chewbacca, who elbowed his way past him and Bodhi both and situated himself behind the controls.

"Leia's still inside. With that Lando Calrissian character." Cassian said to Bodhi.

"I'm going after them." Bodhi said. He picked up a blaster and started down the gangway. Cassian followed. They fired on the troopers taking cover in the doorway. They shot both of them down just as Leia and Lando pounded down the hallway and out onto the dock.

Leia was barely aboard before Bodhi confronted her.

"Where is Jyn?!" He asked. "She went in to grab something!"

"Jyn... Is..." Leia panted, bending over to catch her breath.

"Jyn is gone." Lando said, pressing the gangway button. "She stole one of my ships."

Bodhi looked between them all, eyes wide. Then he collapsed into one of the Falcon's passenger seats and put his head in his hands. Jyn had left him again.

More blaster fire came from the doorway, then a large cloud of what looked like smoke came rushing out, throwing the stormtrooper's aim off.

"It's R-2!" Leia shouted, pointing out the front window. "He must have come with Luke! Put the ramp down!" The little astromech was zipping across the landing strip towards them. Lando hit the button and the little droid zoomed aboard.

"My friend, welcome." K-2 said. R-2 beeped and whistled.

"No, I'm afraid your friend 3-PO is aboard the Admiral's ship. With the rest of the fleet." K-2 responded. R-2 made another few beeps that no one bothered to decipher.

Suddenly Leia put her hand to her head like she was in pain.

"What is it?" Cassian asked.

"I-It's Luke. Something's wrong."

Chewie powered up the engines and they pulled away from the dock, heading for open space.

"Wait!" Leia said. "It's Luke! Turn around! I know where Luke is!"

"How do you know?" Lando said.

"Trust me." Leia replied. "He's there, back the way we came."

The Falcon banked sharply and headed back for the base of Cloud City. Cassian didn't see anything, but Leia suddenly pointed.

"There!"

"Oh my god." Lando said. There was someone hanging from a weathervane at the bottom of Cloud City. How Leia knew it was Luke was beyond anyone.

"Get the med kit ready." Leia said, climbing over Cassian and sprinting down the passageway to the top airlock ladder. Cassian ran after her.

"Let me." Cassian said as Leia moved to jump up the ladder. "I have longer arms."

Leia stood at the bottom of the ladder and chewed her nails. Cassian hauled himself up and opened the airlock. Luke practically tumbled in as wind buffeted him from all sides. The airlock slammed shut behind him.

"I got you." Cassian said. "I'm here, so is Leia and Bodhi and Chewie." Luke folded in on himself, cradling his right arm. Cassian realized with a sickening lurch that there was nothing there but a stump.

"I've got you." He repeated, bracing his back against the ladder tube and supporting Luke's dead weight. Luke mumbled something incoherent.

Cassian reached the base of the tube and tried to jump down without dumping Luke out on the floor. Leia was at his side with the med kit.

"Mind his arm." Cassian told her. She unwound bandages and tried to tape off the end of the stump.

"It's... cauterized. He isn't bleeding." She said.

"Lightsaber." Cassian reminded gently. Luke's head lolled and he kept mumbling. He'd been the same way after they'd brought him back to base at Hoth after the encounter with the ice creature.

"Cassian..." Luke mumbled, fixing him in one eye. The other was swollen shut. He looked like he'd been hit around the head several times quite hard.

"I'm here, Luke. We're going to get you back to the fleet." He said. Leia administered a painkiller and a bacta pack to the stump. Luke whimpered in pain.

"Did you see... Jyn?" He mumbled, head still flopping. He was concussed out of his mind.

"No, she escaped. Did you see her?" Cassian asked, leaning closer.

"Yeah. She's great. She's with Bodhi... She's... Did she tell you about the baby?" Luke said.

"What?" Cassian asked him. Baby? What baby? He looked up at Leia, who looked like she'd been struck by lightning. Behind her, Bodhi's face shared the same expression.

"What is going on?" Cassian asked, looking around.

"You dumb fuck..." Bodhi hissed. For a second Cassian thought he was talking to him, but Bodhi's eyes were locked on Luke's bloody face. Cassian's head whipped between The Princess and the pilot.

"What aren't you telling me about Jyn? For god's sakes, is she all right?"

From the floor, Luke giggled and muttered something else. Leia bit her lip, looking like she'd been doused in cold water.

"Bodhi... I swear to god. If you hurt her..." Cassian threatened, standing and taking Bodhi's collar in his fist.

"IF I hurt her? IF I HURT HER?" Bodhi yelled, knocking his hands away. "You're the sick fuck whose fault it is! YOUR FAULT!"

"What did I do?" Cassian came after Bodhi and was stunned when the younger man turned and hit him as hard as he could in the jaw before kicking him in the stomach. Cassian flew back and tumbled to the ground.

"Bodhi!" Leia yelled. "Stop it!"

"God, I've wanted to do that for so long." The pilot said, shaking his hand out. "You have no idea of the damage you've done."

"Bodhi! You promised." Leia warned. Chewbacca howled from the cockpit.

"Just tell me." Cassian wheezed through the excruciating pain in his jaw. "I just want to know if she's safe."

"You'll never know. Because thanks to you, she's gone. And you're never going to see her again if I have anything to do with it." Bodhi turned on his heel to go back to the cockpit.

"You should just tell him that she's pregnant." Luke's dazed voice came from the hallway. Everyone turned to him, wide-eyed.

"Jyn is... Pregnant? With who?" Cassian asked. He could barely wrap his mind around the idea. Bodhi had his head in his hands again and was mumbling something that sounded like a mantra, repeating "dumb fuck" over and over again.

"WHO IS THE FATHER?" Cassian shouted at the quiet ship. Leia flinched.

"I think..." K-2's voice came from the cockpit. "That they are trying to hide the fact that child of Jyn Erso is in fact... Yours."


	13. Chapter 13

Cassian sat in the room he'd been assigned onboard the Admiral's starship. He stared at the wall, mind racing, trying to wrap his head around what he'd heard not 20 minutes ago.

Jyn was pregnant. Jyn was _pregant._

Guilt had begun coursing through him almost immediately. Leia had shot a glare at Bodhi and got Luke on his feet and to a bunk. Cassian had stared into the cockpit, not really seeing, unable to process. K-2's words kept ringing in his head.

It was going on five months since they'd last slept together. FIVE MONTHS and she hadn't told him. But could he blame her? The send-off they'd given each other would have been enough to make her think he didn't want anything to do with her.

God, but he did. He'd thought about Jyn every hour of his life since he'd woken up in the hospital after Scariff. She'd been the one who'd dragged him off the beach and to a transport, despite being badly injured herself. From then on, he'd trusted her to be there for him... To be the one he confided in and gods almighty, she was the only woman he trusted alone in bed. He hadn't had eyes for anyone else since they'd met.

But that didn't mean he was good at showing it, did it? What did he do after missions? He vented his frustrations, and then he plied her for physical release. And she was always willing.

Cassian had spent so much time brooding on the scene that he thought he could almost conjure it up from his inebriated memory. That first time, practically an accident. The Correllian wine had made him bold. One thing led to another, and then they were making love in her bed for what felt like hours.

He must have said the words to her. He must have. For her to throw them back in his face, he had to have said it. And it was true. He was sure that he loved Jyn Erso as sure as he was that he needed oxygen to breathe. And he was a fool, a _fucking_ fool to let his pride get the better of him. He'd regret nothing more than the last minutes he'd spent with her, so sure that he would see her again.

But one thing was certain. He would find Jyn again, and if she asked it of him, he would move stars for her.

* * *

"I'm such an _idiot."_ Luke moaned to Leia in the medbay. The doctors were in the middle of attaching his cybernetic arm.

"It wasn't your fault. Once the situation snowballed, there was nothing we could have done but tell him." Leia replied. "Keeping the truth from him at that point would have been cruel."

"I could handle a little cruelty thrown his way." Bodhi growled from the corner.

"I won't say it again." Leia chided. "Stop."

"Where is Cassian?" Luke asked.

"In his room." Bodhi answered. "He'll stay there a while."

"I'm sure he has a lot to think about." Leia said. The doctors finished poking Luke's artificial fingers. He grinned as they twinged with the correct feelings.

"Look at you. We match." Bodhi said, kicking up his cybernetic leg.

"Now that you're all patched up, we need to get to the briefing room. We have to start on the plan to rescue Han." Leia said.

"I have to get back to Dagobah, to complete my training with Master Yoda." Luke said. Leia's face clouded.

"But..."

"I have to." Luke's face lost its boyish look for a moment. Leia frowned, then nodded.

"You'll have to take a communicator. You'll need to help us infiltrate Jabba's lair when it comes time."

"Of course." Luke accepted the communicator Leia offered. Then he pulled her in close.

"I'll be back before you know it. We'll get Han back too." He said into her hair, which was modestly braided for once. He pulled away and nodded at the others.

"Oh..." He said before exiting the room. "I didn't tell Cassian this, but I think Jyn is heading to Dagobah. I told her I would meet her there."

Leia and Bodhi looked at one another.

"Dagobah is hardly the place to bring an infant into the world... Luke..."

Luke frowned, as if he hadn't thought of that part.

"We could send her a communication, Lando would know the frequency. Tatooine isn't much farther away, and Ben's house is just sitting in the desert, well... deserted."

"We..." Leia faltered, looking to Bodhi for some argument.

"Tell him." Bodhi said. "There's no point to keeping it under wraps now. He'll find her eventually."

"But we need Cassian to rescue Han..." Leia said, biting her lip.

"The baby will be due in a matter of months. It'll be at least a few weeks for us to get the resources to find Han and mount the rescue. And Luke needs to train." Bodhi said. Luke looked between them, conflicted.

"Plus, when we rescue Han, we'll have a secure place to bring him until we can rendezvous with the fleet. Cassian can... Cassian can join her there. And then it won't be far when we need him."

"All right." Leia finally said. "Go tell him."

* * *

Jyn had been moving through space for some time when her communicator beeped, startling her. She tapped the panel, opening a surprising message... From Lando.

 **GO TO TATTOOINE**

 **LUKE WILL MEET**

 **COORDINATES TO FOLLOW**

The coordinates uploaded automatically to her map. She looked at them. Tattooine? What the hell was on Tattooine?

Part of her gut said to ignore the coordinates and keep flying, ending up somewhere random and secluded. But her other half was telling her to set autopilot for Luke and Tattooine. He was from there, he'd told stories about it. He probably knew somewhere safe they could be.

Her two sides wrestled, unsure. Then the baby gave a hard kick to her abdomen and she winced.

"I see which path you want to take." She said softly to her stomach. The little one shifted inside her, a feeling that she was still not yet used to. Without further deliberation, she punched in the command to have autopilot take her straight to Tattooine.

* * *

Leia hadn't been in the conference room longer than 4 minutes when Luke burst in.

"It's Cassian. He's gone." He panted. Leia felt her stomach sink. Where could he have gone?

"3-PO. Locate Cassian Andor."

"Pardon me, Milady. But Cassian Andor is no longer aboard."

Leia and Luke fixed each other in a wide-eyed stare. Bodhi entered at just that moment.

"What'd I miss?"

"Cassian has... left the fleet." Leia said.

"Well that scuppers our plan then." Bodhi said, obviously trying to remain calm. "Any word from Jyn?"

"She's heading to Tattooine. If you leave now in your x-wing, you should catch her." Lando spoke up from a nearby console.

"I'll go." Luke said, setting his lips in a hard line.

"I'm going too." Bodhi spoke up. "Damn it, she's left me behind twice now, but I want to make sure she's safe out there in the desert."

Leia's eyes glittered with concern, but she nodded slowly. Luke opened his mouth like he wanted to say something more, but he just turned on his heel and left. Bodhi nodded to Leia and followed him to the x-wing docking bay.

Leia sighed, tears threatening to spill over her usually composed face.

"Don't worry, Leia." Lando said, his voice unusually genuine. "They'll be back soon." She accepted the arm he tentatively draped over her shoulders, feeling the need for warmth to combat just how cold space felt just then.

* * *

Jyn entered the atmosphere of Tattooine and was immediately surprised at how flat and sandy it was. Luke had told her it was a desert... but she'd never seen so much empty space before.

The coordinates Lando sent put her on the far side of the planet, with absolutely nothing nearby. That both comforted and alarmed her.

A small homestead set into a ridge came into view, two X-wings already docked nearby. Jyn's stomach flip-flopped. Luke hadn't brought Cassian with him, had he?

But the figure that stepped out of the house was sporting a familiar metal leg. Bodhi. She sighed in relief, though she knew she owed him an explanation.

"Jyn. You're safe." Was all Bodhi said, enfolding her in his long arms. Luke came up the steps of the house to join them. He hugged her too.

"Welcome to your new home. And we brought you an overly fussy nursemaid." Bodhi said cheerfully, steering her towards the house. Jyn recognized the sound of K-2 complaining about the general state of things and let a small smile steal onto her lips.

* * *

Cassian drifted aimlessly in the blackness of space, scanning communication channels for something... Anything that could lead him to Jyn. He had no idea where she would have headed after Cloud City.

It had been reckless, he knew, to leave the Rebellion under cover. They'd probably had just about enough of the famous Commander Andor and the problems he kept causing.

Something on the comm caught his attention. It was an encoded communication that didn't sound like anything he'd heard recently. He hit record, then played it back.

"What in the hell..." Looking back at it, parts began to make sense. It was definitely Empire, but the signal kept fading in and out. He locked on to the origin, trying to see if he could get closer to get a better signal. He drifted through space at low power, trying to follow the message's path.

He drifted closer and closer to what looked like a moon, light from a nearby sun casting a funny shadow on it. Cassian blinked. Even from a distance, something was off. He needed a closer look.

The nearer to the moon he got, the stronger the signal became. He still didn't understand the code, but he had a funny feeling.

All at once, the realization hit him. That was no moon. It was a second Death Star. Cassian turned his ship around before he could get any closer to it and risk detection. He had to see Princess Leia immediately. If the Empire had a second ship capable of the same destruction as the first Death Star... they were all doomed.


	14. Chapter 14

Jyn looked up at the hot twin suns of Tattooine. At the height of the day, the temperature was unbearable. She was only outside to check the moisture pump, which seemed to be in working order. The heat felt good on her skin though.

Life on Tattooine had progressed for two months in peace and quiet. Luke had left her after only a day to get back to Dagobah. But Jyn suspected the hot planet he'd come from still haunted him.

"Is everything all right?" Bodhi's voice called. Jyn sighed and looked back at him.

"Mistress Jyn should return indoors. The heat is unsafe." K2's fussy voice came from behind Bodhi.

"Everything's fine." She said, wind whipping her voice away. Bodhi nodded, watching her walk to the homestead. Her gait was slower now, compensating for the extra inches of baby bump that had come along with completing the 2nd trimester.

Jyn hitched up the long skirt and robe she wore now. Her tunic and pants from Cloud City had ceased to fit almost as soon as a week went by on Tattooine, Bodhi had to go to Mos Espa to try and haggle some clothes for her.

"I think I'll go into town, try and hear some news." Bodhi said as they descended into their subterranean house.

"Okay. Be safe." Jyn replied, almost robotically. Bodhi reached out to touch her arm, thought better of it, and then went back up the steps in silence.

Living in such close quarters was difficult. She'd known from the start that intimacy was going to come up so long as Bodhi stayed with her. Last night had been the boiling point.

 _It was just after they'd cleared away dinner. Jyn had gone into the main room to sit down and read, Bodhi had fussed with some things in the kitchen, the turned some light music on. Ben had an extensive collection of soft music that went very well with the wind whistling over the domed roof. K-2 was out doing some evening maintenance on the homestead._

 _"Do you remember when being part of a rebellion was just... more?" Bohdi rumbled from the doorway._

 _"Not really. I wasn't a part of anything until my father died." Jyn replied._

 _Silence fell over the house._

 _"Jyn, dance with me." Bodhi said, coming around her chair and offering his hand. She looked at him quizzically. "Come on."_

 _She got up and Bodhi pulled her close. Not enough to be wholly uncomfortable, but she was aware the feeling was strange._

 _"Sorry, I'm not a good dancer. Metal leg and all." He chuckled. They swayed to the sounds of the soft instruments._

 _"Jyn..." Bodhi said, pulling away. He reached up to push a tendril of hair behind her ear._

 _"Bodhi..." She said painfully, knowing where this was headed. He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. For one blissful moment she was able to believe that he was someone else, somewhere else, but then reality crashed in. She pushed him away._

 _As Bodhi pulled back, she saw the hurt in his eyes. He'd known it felt wrong too. He turned away and went into his room, the door whooshing shut. Silence fell over the house again._

Jyn sighed. They hadn't talked about it that morning over breakfast. Bodhi had looked tired, defeated. She felt guilty, but...

Bodhi wasn't Cassian. That was what he'd seen on her face last night and he knew. Even if she wasn't going to see Cassian again, she couldn't imagine being with anyone else. When she only had herself to depend on, things got easier to take care of. The baby would be no exception.

Speaking of baby, he was kicking hard. At seven months, she could hardly believe she would get bigger than she was. She could hardly bend down if she dropped anything, and running was almost out of the question. If she had to go into battle right then and there, she'd be utterly useless.

Somewhere in the house, a metal whistle was heard. The communicator unit? It hadn't picked up anything since they'd settled on Tattooine. She hauled herself up and went to go look in the control room.

The comm was beeping all right, the new message shown on it. They were from a Rebellion frequency.

 **PUTTING PLAN INTO ACTION**

 **URGENT DEVELOPMENT**

 **NEW DEATH ST REPORTED**

 **CASSIAN A CAPTURED**

 **RECOVERED**

 **MORE NEWS SOON**

Jyn sat down hard. Her heart beat frantically. The plan was being put into action soon, she couldn't believe the time had come already. Jyn reached into her pocket and got out the comm they used for short-range transmissions. She rang Bodhi, who picked up on the second beep.

 _"What is it, is it the baby?" Bodhi asked._

"No." Jyn replied. "They're coming to rescue Han. Get back to the house as soon as you can, they're sending another message."

"I'm turning around now." The communication went dead. Jyn closed her comm and leaned back in her chair, thinking as she rubbed her belly. The baby kicked frantically, as if sensing her distress.

"There there, Little One." She said softly. She knew she shouldn't be, but the news that Cassian had been captured by the Empire distressed her, and by proxy it was distressing the baby. She could sense him in her stomach, confused and blind to what was going on outside his little world. She couldn't explain how she could see it if she closed her eyes and focused, but the sense had gotten stronger as the baby had grown. She didn't even know how she knew it was going to be a boy, only that she had felt it one day.

The kyber crystal began to grow hot underneath her dress. She'd looked through some of old Ben Kenobi's old books when they had first arrived, and she'd begun to suspect that whenever she was tuning in to her baby, she was tapping into The Force somehow. And the kyber crystal was built to react to Force sensations. It was a curious little secret she had, she planned to talk to Luke about it as soon as she had a moment with him.

* * *

Cassian looked up at the ceiling of his cell, barely able to do anything but keep his eyes open, and even that was failing. He was losing his resolve.

His plans to race back to The Rebellion with the news of the second Death Star had almost immediately failed. He'd fled right into an Empire brigade and was captured in seconds. He had no idea how long he'd been there, he was starting to think it was weeks and months.

The torture. God, the torture. Every day, needles and burns. He hadn't given them anything, but it was only a matter of time until he did. He thought he'd been lucky when him and Han had been captured, they only were taken a handful of times. But the Empire was desperate for information. They had no idea where The Rebellion was now, and they wanted the information for the new Death Star's attack. Truth be told, Cassian himself had no idea where the new Rebel Base was, so they wouldn't be able to get the information out of him anyways. He hadn't given up that he'd seen the new Death Star.

He shut his eyes against the cold ceiling and retreated inside himself. He pictured Jyn's face for the millionth time that day. How was she? How was the baby?

He didn't know when exactly the feeling had come to him, but he'd suddenly known that she was safe. She had a roof over her head and someone to protect her. If he concentrated, he could see her sitting and reading, or watching the sunset. He didn't know how he could see it, but it felt as real as looking on it with his own two eyes. The only thing he could think of is that somehow, The Force was watching over them.

Luke had taught him a little about The Force on Hoth. And he remembered what Chirrut had told him about it. The Force was present in everyone, just some were able to tune into it more than others. At first, Cassian hadn't put much stock into it, but he'd seen Luke levitate things around his room after only a little practice on the subject. He'd asked Luke to teach him what he knew, and so far, Cassian had moved an apple a couple inches in the air. He could also _feel_ things more acutely if he focused. But it wasn't a constant presence like Luke described.

Cassian was grateful for these snatches of vision into Jyn's life. He could see her (though her face was blurred) and he could see the curve of her stomach, where, impossibly, their child grew.

Even though the thought filled him with abject terror, he couldn't wait to touch Jyn's round stomach, feeling the life there. He couldn't wait to hold his son or daughter as they took their first breaths. He had to be there for that.

He reached out anew for Jyn, the last he'd seen of her had been days ago. He'd been too wracked with pain since to try and commit the energy to The Force since then. But he needed to see her now.

Cassian let his body relax, his mind wandering. He pictured Jyn's face, as he always did, and then he felt the tingling in his fingers that usually accompanied his visions of her. She was sitting, reading, just like the last time he'd seen her. Her stomach was bigger than before.

As he watched, hungrily, she stood, listening to someone speaking from the next room. A familiar frame sparked into his sight. Bodhi.

The two began to sway from side to side, arms locked around each other... they were dancing?

Then as Cassian looked on, their lips met.

He snapped his mind away from that image, the picture burned into his mind. It couldn't be real. Bodhi and Jyn? It couldn't be possible.

Cassian opened his eyes to the ceiling once more, mental and physical pain causing two small tears to trek down his bruised face. The universe was punishing him for his crimes, but that was his cross to bear so long as he was trapped in the belly of an Imperial Flagship.

The door whooshed open, but he didn't bother to look at the guard, come to drag him to more hours of hell.

"Get up, Rebel scum. You've been put up for hostage exchange."

* * *

Jyn hadn't expected Luke to arrive so suddenly on Tattooine, or be their next source of news. She was surprised when his X-Wing touched down behind the house a couple weeks after they'd received the original communication from The Rebellion. No other communications had been sent.

Luke was barely recognizable. His training on Dagobah had changed him, made him look more serene and... older, somehow. He embraced Jyn with less enthusiasm than he would have had before, all his boyish exuberance having disappeared into a more collected manner.

"It's good to see you. You look healthy." He said. "You both do."

Jyn knew that Luke would confirm her suspicions whether the baby was a boy or not, but she didn't want to. She hoped they could speak later about The Force though.

"Good to see you." Bodhi said, accepting a hug from Luke as well.

"Leia and The Millennium Falcon should be here soon." Luke said, looking up towards the sky and its twin suns. "I can't believe it's finally happening."

"Is it true?" Bodhi asked. "About the new Death Star?" Luke nodded.

"We have little time until it is operational" He said. "That's why the Rebellion is moving its attack plan up."

"And we need all hands on deck." Jyn said thoughtfully.

"Leia has been the driving force behind getting Cassian and Han back." Luke said. He shot a glance in Jyn's direction. "Cassian was on a scouting mission when he discovered the new Death Star, the Empire captured him and tortured him for information."

Jyn chewed on her lip and turned away, missing the look exchanged between Bodhi and Luke. They had agreed not to disclose what had happened on board the Millennium Falcon after the events of Cloud City.

Just then, The Falcon dropped out of the atmosphere, speeding towards the homestead. Bodhi looked at Luke questioningly.

"He's not on board." Luke said under his breath. "Cassian Andor has been in a coma since The Alliance traded him into their custody."


	15. Chapter 15

Bodhi couldn't miss Jyn's visible reaction of relief when she saw that Cassian wasn't onboard the crew of The Falcon. Leia, Chewie, Lando, and C-3PO all disembarked and greetings were exchanged. Bodhi and Jyn led them into their sitting area. R2-D2 came screaming in for a joyous reunion with 3PO and K-2.

Leia didn't waste much breath in getting down to business.

"We have a limited amount of time before the Empire begins to make their next move. We aim to strike the Death Star before it becomes operational. We believe it is a matter of months or weeks until the station will be so. They do not yet know that we are aware of this development. The hostage negotiation did not disclose any new information on either side."

"Is he... all right?" Jyn asked quietly.

Leia looked at Bodhi, and then continued.

"Commander Andor suffered considerable trauma while on board the Empire Flagship. I'm afraid he's been... unconscious since being delivered to our care." Leia said. Jyn's face didn't move. She looked completely unconcerned by this information.

"Now, as I was saying, we have a small window..." Leia continued. She began to lay out the plan for rescuing Han from Jabba the Hutt, but Jyn was hardly listening. Her mind was far away with Cassian.

* * *

Cassian walked through an endless maze in his mind. He was searching for something, but he'd lost sight of what it was.

Seeing Jyn and Bodhi kissing had broken him in the worst ways. There was nothing the Empire could do, not even the poison they'd put in his system before the hostage exchange could hurt him so badly.

Most of the time, his body raged with fire. His only escape was the maze in his head. He could walk forever there, and he was alone in the quiet.

Suddenly, he felt a presence. It was so familiar he felt a swell of emotion build inside him. The presence was prompting him onwards. He didn't know how it was possible, but the next thing he knew he was surging into consciousness, sitting up in a hospital bed aboard the Admiral's ship.

* * *

Jyn paced frantically around the house, her stomach cramping with worry. The others should have been back from Jabba's palace hours previously, and she was unable to keep her anxiety in check.

The baby hadn't kicked all morning, worrying her even more. Usually he matched her moods, kicking more when she felt excited for any reason. She could still feel him inside, alive, but his lack of movement bothered her.

The sound of a spaceship approaching became audible overhead. She nearly leapt out her seat in spite of her girth and began to struggle up the stairs.

Luke and Bodhi were supporting Han off The Falcon. He looked like he was feeling the effects of a hybernation sickness and a hard fight. Leia, dressed in a scandalous slave outfit, followed.

"You're all safe." Jyn said, coming forwards.

"Look at you, little mama." Han chuckled. "Big as a bantha." Leia hit him in the back of the head.

"Sorry. You look healthy, Jyn."

"I missed you, scoundrel." Jyn said, embracing him. She hugged Luke and Bodhi next.

"Could I bother you for a change of clothes?" Leia asked, gesturing to her attire.

"All I seem to own anymore are clothes fit for a bantha." Jyn said, giving a pointed look to Han, who grinned wolfishly. "But I kept my old clothes." She led Leia inside. Her stomach twisted as she prepared for what she was about to ask.

As soon as they were in Jyn's room and the door hissed shut, Jyn turned on the smaller Princess.

"I want to go back to the Rebellion with you."

* * *

Cassian stared down at the Red Squadron helmet in his hands. So long ago, it had seemed like an honor to be chosen. Now it felt like the last thing he wanted. The Rebellion was desperate for fighters for that last battle, there hadn't been time for them to put him through a psych eval before briefing. If they had, they wouldn't have found him fit for duty, that was for sure.

"Your mission, Gentlemen, is to find and destroy the shield generator that our intel shows is guarding the Death Star. You will travel to the forest moon of Endor and give it hell. Many pilots died to bring us this valuable information.

Cassian swallowed a lump in his throat. He'd watched the blue squadron get ripped to pieces trying to attack the Death Star, only to find out that there was a shield protecting it. There had been no survivors, good pilots all.

He got up and proceeded to his x-wing, feeling apprehensive of going in the sky again. It was likely that in the days to come, he would finally run out of luck. And he wouldn't see Jyn again to tell her he was sorry.

* * *

As they approached the Rebel fleet, Jyn was just returning to the cockpit from the private room when she felt a sudden and constricting cramp across her abdomen. She leaned against the wall of the Falcon, trying to breathe through it. Bodhi was at her side in an instant.

"What's wrong, is it the baby?!" He asked. All eyes were on her. The cramp abated, but there was still a tight feeling in her lower extremities. Jyn nodded, slowly, her mind reaching out to the baby. She could feel pain, she could feel fear. She still didn't feel any movement, but he was alive.

"Something's... not... right." She panted. "It's too soon."

"Hang on, we're almost there." Han said in a tight voice, pushing up on the Falcon's throttle as they soared towards the open docking bay.

* * *

Cassian turned his x-wing around for another sweep of the Empire base, but it was no use. They were expecting an attack. There was a shield in place around the generator that was impervious to their weapons and TIE fighters swarmed everywhere. Other pilots were going down in flames at an alarming rate. It was only a matter of time until he had to pull back or-

His left wing disappeared in a ball of fire, sending him in a tailspin. Cassian hauled on the controls, trying to angle his descent away and into the forest, but he was going down fast.

In the last seconds of his life, he prayed to no one in particular to watch over Jyn, watch over his child, and he prayed that the Rebellion won the fight for freedom.


	16. Chapter 16

Jyn stared up at the ceiling of the med facility, focusing only on one thing... Her son's life. The doctors said he'd become distressed after her anxiety had caused the placenta to detach again. Another incident like that and she would have to deliver early, possibly endangering him further.

Jyn could feel him completely now. Luke had stayed with her the whole time she'd been in the med bay, talking her through what she was feeling in a calm voice. It was so different to see him so focused and in control, keeping her calm through The Force. The doctors had been busy with the operation, and the pain had been much worse than the last time, but then she could feel the moment they re-attached his life support. His energy blazed back, and he began to kick again... feebly at first, then stronger as she rested. The doctors quickly finished up and left them.

"He's so strong." She'd said to Luke, who nodded and smiled. He was going to dote on him, they all were.

The door whooshed open to reveal Han, who looked grim.

"Good thing you're lying down." Han said quietly. Luke looked at him wide-eyed. Leia filed in behind, also looking somber.

"What's happened?" Jyn asked. Han looked at Leia, chewing his lip.

"Cassian Andor was deployed as part of red squadron to take down the shield generator protecting the Death Star..." Leia began.

"Did they get it down?" Jyn asked. Leia shook her head.

"The Empire was waiting for them."

"So, they'll try again. Try something new." Jyn said. Han looked at his feet and Leia pursed her lips.

"Commander Andor and the rest of red squadron have been marked as MIA... There were no survivors."

* * *

Han and Leia walked slowly down the hall to command central. Leia was unusually silent, the news they'd just had to give to Jyn weighing heavily on her.

"Sweetheart..." Han said softly. Without another word, Leia crushed herself to him.

"I feel so helpless. Those two have been through everything imaginable and it was all for nothing. That baby will never know who its father is."

"At least Cassian knew." Han said, placing a light kiss on the top of her head. "He had enough time to picture a galaxy with his kid in it. What a thought."

Leia gave a watery chuckle.

"I can't imagine if they were to have a girl. She'd be a force to be reckoned with."

Han pulled away, continuing to lead Leia to command with her arm looped through his.

"About that. How does she know she's going to have a boy? She seemed to know before Luke did."

Leia chewed her lip. She hadn't thought of that. She'd always thought of Jyn as having a baby boy, it just... felt right.

"I don't know. Maybe The Force has a way of telling us all."

"I sure missed the memo." Han growled. "This Force thing is getting spooky. Did you see how different Luke looked coming back from that Master Yoda? It's like he's a different person."

Leia could still feel the swirl of Luke's emotions down the hallway. He was grieving Cassian, perhaps more than Jyn was. She'd taken the news well. Leia couldn't focus on Jyn's emotions as well as she could Luke's, she had barely felt the other woman in Cloud City, but Luke's presence had pulsed like a bright light for her. But she couldn't explain that any more than she could Luke's training on Dagobah. Han was right, he was changed, but in some ways it was right... Luke was just growing up.

Leia remained pensive as they entered command. Her mind was a swirling mess of pity and grief over the loss of a certain Rebellion pilot.

* * *

Hours later, Jyn lay in her hospital bed, face turned to the wall. The room was silent except for the beeps and whirs of the medical equipment. She cradled her stomach under the blankets, a numb feeling had overtaken her.

So that was it. Cassian was dead. He would never know that she had returned to the Rebellion, and he would never know she was carrying his baby. His son.

She hadn't wanted it to turn out this way. One half of her had wanted to disappear into the stars and lead a peaceful life raising her child, no ties to the Robellion, no fighting, no more running. But she would be lying if she said her other half didn't hope for a happy ending with Cassian sweeping her off her feet and raising their baby together.

 _"Those words don't belong in a war."_ Cassian's last words to her rang in her ears. They seemed like a lifetime ago. Everything should have gone differently. They should have gotten more time.

The baby kicked steadily at her hands, his consciousness bumping up to hers, trying to comfort her. He couldn't yet comprehend the reason for her distress and for his sake she tried to push the sorrow away.

After she'd been pronounced healthy enough to not need constant monitoring, the others had filed out to the briefing for the upcoming battle. The fate of the Rebellion was hours away from being decided, and she would play no part in it.

Jyn allowed herself to sink into The Force to calm her mind. The first consciousness she felt was her son. On the edges of her mind, she could feel the others on the ship. Luke burned the brightest. His mind bumped up against hers despite his focus on the meeting. He pushed feelings of comfort her way. They would get through this. Jyn tried casting herself out further, at first testing her ability, then realized she was fruitlessly searching for someone... someone who she knew wouldn't be there.

* * *

Luke stood stolidly in the briefing room, listening to the General and Mon Mothma lay out the strategy for the mission. They weren't set to leave until the next morning, and something nagged at the back of his mind. He needed to return to Master Yoda.

Quietly, he slipped out of the room. The only person who noticed him go was Leia, whose dark eyes followed him every time they were in a room together.

Luke stole into the hangar, making for his x-wing that R2 had piloted back to the fleet for him. A shrill series of beeps ensured him that the little robot would be accompanying him to Dagobah.

* * *

He opened his eyes against the weak green light trickling down through the forest canopy above him. So this is what heaven looked like. It was so green and healthy.

He became aware of a dull throb in his legs that slowly pulsed its way up through his hips and went screaming up his spine, culminating in a giant gasp for air that jump started his shocked lungs.

Cassian Andor was alive.


	17. Chapter 17

The morning of the attack dawned bright and clear. Everyone assembled in the briefing room for one last meeting before the plan was set in motion.

"General Solo, do you have your away team assembled?" Mon Mothma asked.

"I'm ready, I think I have a flight crew." Han replied. He looked at Leia, who looked exhausted. Luke was nowhere to be seen, Bodhi had been transferred to another ship to prepare as part of the new red squadron. Chewie yowled supportively.

"I've got one." Han said definitively. Leia nodded. "Two."

Everyone assembled looked a little dubious.

"Count me in." A voice from the doorway said. Luke stepped in. He looked like he'd had a rough night and didn't want to talk about it. Leia got up to hug him.

"Good luck." Admiral Ackbar said. "And may The Force be with you."

He turned to address the other flight teams. Those with assignments began to file out.

"What happened? Where have you been?" Leia asked, looking Luke up and down.

"Master Yoda is dead." Luke said simply, his shoulders slumping. "He has become one with The Force."

"Oh. I'm so sorry, Luke." Leia said. Han put a hand at the small of her back.

"Yeah, real sorry kid. But we got a stolen imperial shuttle to fly outta here."

Luke nodded and turned back for the door. Leia's worried eyes continued to follow him.

"The kid's going to be fine." Han said, but she wasn't listening.

* * *

Jyn had persuaded the doctors to let her out of the medbay to see off the Tydirium. She waddled her way down the hangar, being sure to take it slow. The baby was shifting around like he could sense the energy of the base. Everyone was on edge about the upcoming battle.

She'd read the briefs, it seemed simple enough. Han was going to lead a stolen Empire shuttle to the surface of Endor to try and blast the shield generator down. Meanwhile, the fleet was going to bombard the Death Star with all they had, while Lando lead the chase inside the Death Star to blow the main reactor.

She tried not to allow it in, but worry nagged at her mind. She worried for her friends.

"Look who's up on her feet." She came up to Han and Lando, who were having a heated conversation just inside the bay doors. Lando turned and held his arms out for a welcome embrace. Han was next.

"Not long now." Han said, looking down at her wide stomach.

"Don't jinx me." Jyn said. "He should stay in there for two more months."

"I dunno, you look-"

"Big as a bantha. I know."

Leia and look came to join them, sporting similar tired and blank looks.

"I came to see you off." Jyn said, looking around at her friends. Chewbacca howled from the ramp of the stolen Imperial shuttle.

"We'll be back before you know it." Luke said, putting a supportive arm around her shoulders. Leia nodded. "Force willing, we'll be back to celebrate soon enough." Luke continued.

"I hope so." Jyn said. They were all visibly trying to keep the mood from souring. They could feel the loss of the two members of their team who weren't there.

"Bodhi says that he's going to kick as many Empire asses as he can for us." Han said, as if sensing her thoughts.

"I think..." Jyn began, finding her throat was dry. "If Cassian were here, he would say that we should fight to live another day-"

"And live to fight another day." Luke finished. "He said that to me before the attack on the first Death Star."

The mood hung heavily over them for another few seconds.

"Well." Han said. "To Cassian."

"And Rogue One." Jyn added.

"And The Force. May it see us back here soon." Luke finished.

* * *

Cassian lost an regained consciousness several times before he could stay alert long enough to begin moving his limbs. It was a few agonizing moments before he hauled himself onto his feet and began to assess the situation.

He was on Endor. His x-wing was in pieces some ways off. He'd been thrown clear in the crash, but had sustained some injuries. A concussion, broken ribs, burns on his chest, his hips didn't feel right, but he could walk... That would be the Scariff injury acting up. But he was alive. He was alive.

First, he had to find water. He felt dizzy and parched. Then he could begin to make plans. He lurched through the underbrush, focusing on putting one foot in front of the other. The Force had lent him a bit more luck, and he fully intended to use it to take down the Empire and find Jyn.

* * *

"This is shuttle Tydirium, requesting shield access." Han said into the comm.

"Transmit your access code." The Empire communicator crackled back.

"Transmitting."

"Time to see if this code was worth the price we paid." Leia said from her seat.

The ship fell silent as they prayed the Empire was _stupid_ enough to let them through the shield and down to Endor.

"Cleared. Prepare for shield deactivation." The comm crackled. Everyone let out an audible sigh.

"Vader's on that ship." Luke breathed as they breached the Imperial Flagship and soared down towards Endor.

"Calm down, there are hundreds of those kind of ships." Han said, sounding like he needed to convince himself. "Fly casual, Chewie."

"I've endangered the mission." Luke said darkly. "If I can sense Vader, he can sense me."

No one had any reply to that, they just kept descending towards the forest moon.

* * *

Jyn paced her quarters endlessly. She hated not knowing what was going on. She didn't know how the assault on the shield generator was going, if they'd even gotten close yet. She was pacing to try and calm her mind so she could reach out through The Force and find Luke.

The baby kicked in time with her steps, letting her know he was there. He was weighing down low in her stomach, making her feel like she was carrying something heavy that she was about to drop. It wasn't an altogether pleasant feeling.

Jyn sat down and looked out her window at the inky blackness of space, trying to calm her mind. She wanted to feel Luke, know that he and the others were safe.

She'd barely closed her eyes and begun to spread her consciousness when something exploded in her mind. A gasp of consciousness, one she recognized better than the back of her hand. Tears spilled down her cheeks. There was no mistaking it...

Cassian Andor was alive. He was alive and on Endor. And she was going to him.

* * *

Cassian crept around the battlements of the Imperial shield station. The place was crawling with AT-AT's and AT-ST's. The Empire was well prepared this time, they were taking no chances on security. He would be hard pressed to get inside the compound, let alone to the primary generator or the base shield generator. It didn't even look like there were an excess of ships he could steal from, everything was running minimal and tight.

A branch cracked behind him, making him whip his head around, swooning a little at the sudden movement. His right ear was ringing still, throwing off his perception. He was hidden, but not as well as he could be.

Another crack, closer. He moved behind a tree. Whatever it was, it was getting closer. Stormtroopers, most likely.

Cassian waited, listening to the garbled sounds of the forest. Then he stepped out of his cover, blaster poised to shoot.

* * *

Leia and Han crept closer and closer to the Imperial shield base, trying to size up the situation.

"There's so many of them." Leia said. "This isn't going to be easy." Her heart was beating fast with worry. Luke had left them last night to face Vader, and she hadn't felt anything from him except a cloud of mixed emotions barely battened down under the calm of his training. Revealing the news that he'd discovered their relationship had lifted a load from both of their shoulders, and Han had benefitted from that realization last night. He'd barely left her side since they'd woken up in each other's arms.

A twig cracked to their left, making all heads turn. Han was up and on his feet before anyone else could react. He was sidling around a large tree, ready for whatever was on the other side. It was as good a time as any to begin their assault on the generator base.

Han lunged around the tree, blaster raised, then yelled in surprise.

Leia was on her feet in an instant, stifling her own cry of surprise as _Cassian Andor_ blinked astoundingly at them.

He was alive.


	18. Chapter 18

Luke took slow breaths as he struggled to meditate. Fear encroached on his calm as Vader's shuttle soared towards the new Death Star, which was haunting the surface of Endor like a wraith. Memories of the first Death Star assault were clouding his mind, and he needed absolute focus if he was going to face the Emperor and Vader.

He could feel Vader's cold presence in the cockpit ahead. It was intriguing, but also heavily guarded. He dared not prod against the walls of his mind, knowing it was useless at this point.

Also trying to batter its way into his head were feelings of sadness, grief, and fear for his friends. The only way to root out those feelings were to focus on the energies of the people he was leaving behind on Endor... Leia, Han, Chewie, and... Cassian?

Luke thought for a moment The Force was playing tricks on him. He'd felt something through The Force only hours ago, but had brushed it away. A familiar presence, weak but alive. But now it was stronger, close to the energies of Leia and Han. Cassian was alive.

Luke felt joy surge up in him. He reached out into space, trying to find Jyn to give her the feeling of happiness and relief that was pouring through him. But... Jyn wasn't where he thought. He couldn't find her. Something was wrong.

* * *

"Jyn thinks you're dead!"

Cassian and Han were busy blasting stormtroopers and ATST's from the doorway of the shield bunker, and Han thought it was good a time as any to bring it up.

"What?" Cassian yelled back, trying to pin down a couple troopers hiding behind a windfall.

"I said, Jyn thinks you're dead! She's probably going to be so surprised you're alive that she'll pop that kid out right then and there!"

Leia ran around the corner and began to join the firefight. She shot Han a glare.

"Stop talking like that! She's a human being in a delicate state!"

"Sorry, Your Worship..." Han replied, his customary grin in place.

Leia cried out in pain as a blaster bolt suddenly singed her arm. She fell back against the door frame.

"Leia!" Han bent down to help her as her eyes fluttered closed.

"Freeze!" A stormtrooper said. They were surrounded. Cassian and Han tossed their blasters away.

Leia's eyes fluttered open. Han looked down to see her blaster cocked and ready to shoot the stormtrooper behind him.

"I love you." He whispered.

"I know." Leia replied, eyes glittering. Han rolled out of the way and took up shooting again. Leia took down the lead 3 stormtroopers and threw her gun to Cassian, who took down the next few. Then, a high pitched horn sounded in the jungle. Ewoks exploded out of every conceivable place, taking the Imperial troops by surprise.

Leia slumped back against the doorframe, her face very pale. Han was at her side in an instant. Cassian felt his cheeks heating up as he watched the couple comfort each other on the remains of the battlefield. A bitter feeling welled up in his throat.

Then, almost in tandem, Leia and Cassian gasped.

"What is it?" Han asked Leia. He couldn't see Cassian clutching a hand to his head behind him. Leia's eyes squeezed shut.

"It's Luke... And Jyn! They're in danger."

Cassian looked up, his vision clearing. He'd felt Jyn's fear as clearly as if it was his own. The voice he'd heard in his head had definitely been Luke's... They were together, somewhere else.

"They're on the Death Star." Leia said, her eyes popping open wide.

"What the hell is Jyn doing there?!" Han swore. "She was supposed to stay on the ship!"

"I have to go to her." Cassian said. "I have to go." He could feel the cold grip of fear in his chest, pulling him to her. Leia nodded and pointed to a damaged but flyable Imperial shuttle some way off. Cassian turned and sprinted to it, without another word.

"Luke... Jyn..." Leia said softly, tears welling in her eyes as she watched Cassian's shuttle scream away.

* * *

Jyn stole into the Rebel hangar, trying to remain conspicuous.

 _"Don't see me..."_ She repeated in her mind. So far, she'd seen very few people, and all of them were intent on whatever they were doing. She was able to enter the hangar without a hitch. From there, it was just a matter of finding herself something to fly that would get her down to Endor. To Cassian.

The only ship left in the bay was a tiny Rebel flyer that had no weapons. Jyn sighed and jogged to it as fast as she was able, pulling herself up and into the cockpit with some difficulty. Her stomach was in knots again, anxiety washing over her as she thought about what she was about to do.

A sharp knock on the cockpit door scared the living daylights out of her. K-2's quizzical robotic face peered in the window.

"Mistress Jyn, might I recommend you stay on base? The doctor's orders-"

"Cassian's alive." Jyn said. "I have to find him."

"But your condition..."

"K-2! He's in danger!"

The robot thought for a moment, his head cocked.

"Might I suggest that I come with you? In the event of a medical emergency, I could assist."

"Get in." Jyn said, pursing her lips. K-2's face disappeared and the sound of the droid lift filtered in the cockpit. His tinny voice piped in a moment later.

"Ready when you are, Mistress Jyn."

It only took a moment to figure out the controls for the small craft, and they swooped out of the hangar without a hitch. She turned off her comm to ignore any Rebel hails that might come her way. They had better things to do than try to figure out who was leaving the base.

Jyn set her computer to take her to Endor. She'd have to rely on her gut feeling to find Cassian from there, but she was coming for him. The baby kicked at her.

"Soon, little one. Soon." She said softly as the green planet began to take form on her monitor.

* * *

Luke exited Vader's shuttle, flanked by Imperial guards and Vader himself. The only sound in the huge hangar was Vader's metallic breathing.

"The Emperor is expecting you." An Admiral said, approaching them with his own contingent of guards.

"Good." Was all Vader said in reply. They marched down a smooth corridor and into a turbolift.

* * *

Jyn slowed her ascent as the Death Star and the Imperial fleet began to come into view. She had to find a way down to the planet without the fleet detecting her. Up ahead, she could already see the bright fire from the battle. The Rebel fleet was doing its best to take down the Empire, but it was hard to see which way the battle was going.

Suddenly, a bright green flash of light soared out of the Death Star. Jyn couldn't stifle a gasp of shock. A ship of the Rebel fleet disappeared in an instant, blinked out of existence by the powerful ray of the Death Star.

It wasn't possible. The battle station wasn't supposed to be operational for weeks.

They had been led into a trap.

* * *

"Your friends have been led into a trap." The Emperor was saying. Luke tried to calm himself against the wave of fear that crashed upon his defenses. "It was I who allowed the Alliance to know the location of the shield generator."

With those words, light blasted out of the Death Star, arcing across the space between them and the Rebel Fleet. A ship winked out of existence.

"NO!" Luke cried. He felt the voices of the hundreds of people on board suddenly cut off, as if silenced. It was what Ben had described feeling when Alderaan had been destroyed the same way. Inside, he was weeping, feeling his control of the situation loosening.

"Good... Good..." The Emperor crooned. "Feel that fear and anger well up inside of you. Let it feed your transition to the Dark Side."

* * *

Cassian crept along the deserted corridors of the Death Star, trying to keep his mind in tune with The Force, using it to draw him to Jyn and Luke. Right now, Luke's energy was the easiest to lock onto, it was burning so bright he couldn't ignore it. It was coming from somewhere ahead, battling against something very dark. Cassian's senses weren't honed enough to recognize who- or _what_ \- it was. He just knew that if he found Luke, he'd be able to find Jyn.


	19. Chapter 19

"We're going aboard that Death Star." Jyn said. "We have to do something to stop it."

"Mistress Jyn, may I suggest that I begin replicating an Imperial landing code?" K-2 said over their radio.

"Yes. Do it." Jyn said. Her stomach tightened as they soared towards the battle station instead of the planet's surface. She shifted her focus, reaching out through the Force. She could feel Luke on board, his energy was almost impossible to miss. He was upset, and in pain. They had to help him.

"Shuttle 23-H, transmit landing code." The comm crackled.

"Transmitting now." She replied. K-2 sent the code.

"You are cleared for landing." The Empire replied. Jyn let out a sigh of relief. The feeling in her stomach, however, did not loosen.

They settled in the nearly deserted bay without further hitch, disembarking when they saw the only other inhabitants of the hangar begin to march out. Jyn pulled her cloak tighter around herself and stole into the nearest corridor, her blaster held tight to her chest.

"We need to find a way to start an auto-destruct." Jyn said to K-2 as they passed deeper into the levels of the Death Star.

"If we encounter a mainframe access point, I could begin to determine the nature of the sequence." K-2 replied. She nodded, and they kept going, praying their luck would hold. Jyn's stomach clenched and unclenched as she kept her mind tuned to any sign that Cassian or Luke were on board.

* * *

Cassian ran through the inner hallways of the Death Star, feeling that he was growing closer and closer to Luke until the feeling was almost painful. Luke's anger and pain radiated through a darkened doorway, through which the sounds of lightsaber battle could be heard. Cassian raised his blaster, knowing his weapon was almost useless against theirs... But maybe a split-second's distraction could turn the tides for Luke.

He whirled into the room, looking around for the source of the fighting. Luke and Vader were on a catwalk above, someone in black robes sweeping down on them. Cassian had never seen such a horrible looking being in his life. He leveled his weapon directly at its back and fired.

* * *

Luke battled against Vader, using every skill Master Yoda had taught him to keep his consciousness on the light side of The Force, but he was quickly losing. Fear and anger were consuming him, making him lash out at Vader until he stumbled, and even then Luke continued hacking at him, cutting off his mechanical hand and causing his lightsaber to fly away.

Luke didn't notice the Emperor sneaking up on him until it was too late. White-hot pain slashed through him as Palpatine shot electricity again and again from his hands. Luke screamed and writhed in pain.

Suddenly, it stopped. A blaster fired again and again, shots missing the Emperor wildly. Luke looked around with blurred vision. Cassian was standing on the level below them, shooting his blaster at the Emperor.

"NO!" Luke yelled. "RUN!" The Emperor turned and jerked a clawlike hand. Cassian soared through the air and toward the Emperor.

"Iiiii know you." Palpatine hissed, looking Cassian up and down. "You're the one responsible for the destruction of Scariff. And the first Death Star. Looks like your luck has run out after all."

Luke lunged at Palpatine, but was swatted away like a fly. He hit the railing and felt something crack in his back. He fell in a heap with a cry of pain.

Cassian choked helplessly, held in place by the Emperor's power. This was really it, how he would go. At least he'd given Luke what fighting chance he could.

Suddenly, an alarm began to sound around them. Something was wrong.

"NO!" The Emperor howled. "What is happening?!" He looked to Vader to explain, but his servant was still slumped opposite his son, clutching his lost mechanical limb. Red lights began to flash around them.

"My lord, it would appear that the destruct sequence is activated." Vader finally said. Palpatine howled, tossing Cassian out of his grip and over the railing. Cassian saw Luke's fearful face, and then he was plunging down into darkness.

* * *

Jyn and K-2 found the control center with only a few short skirmishes that were easily solved by Jyn's blaster. It was obvious that the Death Star was operating with skeleton crew, most of the ships and soldiers being deployed from the Flagship and fleet for the outside battle.

K-2 was breaking into the center via door panel when Jyn suddenly doubled over, a wave of pain so bright blooming over her body that she could barely stand up.

"Mistress Jyn, your elevated hormone levels and distress pheromones indicate that your body is preparing to give birth." K-2 said, pausing in his ministrations of the door panel.

"Get the door open." Jyn panted. As soon as the pain began to ease even slightly, it surged back, cramping her abdomen. Waves of fear were flooding over her, but she was trying to suppress them.

The door whooshed open and K-2 shot the deck crew inside. The control room fell silent. Jyn dropped into a chair and tried to take a few calming breaths.

"This is _not_ the time..." She growled, looking over the control pads in front of her. K-2 sat next to her and began to hook into the mainframe. Jyn leaned back in her chair and concentrated all her efforts on not beginning to push right then and there. It would not do to deliver her son in the middle of a self-destructing battleship. But the pain kept intensifying, lighting up her body with every contraction.

"I have activated the self-destruct sequence. It will deploy in 20 minutes." K-2 said. "May I suggest we begin to prepare for delivery?"

"What?" Jyn squeaked. "No! We have to get off this ship!"

"By my calculations, your amniotic fluid will begin to release in 3...2...1..." Jyn gasped as a rush of fluid came from inside her and pooled in the chair.

"Can you deliver a baby in nineteen minutes?" She asked K-2, tears pooling in her eyes.

"With my medical knowledge and statistical calculations, I believe that in only one minute you will be at a safe enough dilation to begin pushing. The delicate nature of your pregnancy and levels of stress will escalate the delivery process."

"I'm scared." Jyn whimpered as the ship shook. Something deeper in the Death Star was breaking down. She slid off the chair and laid herself out on the floor, trying to breathe through the pain rolling through her.

"Mistress Jyn, may I recommend you push?"

* * *

Cassian came to laying on a thin metal walkway. Up above him, lights flashed furiously. He felt like he'd just been hit by a landspeeder. By yet another miracle, he was alive.

Something black and cloaked soared past him, missing the walkway and plunging into the abyss below. He looked up just in time to see Luke's head emerge over the railing some hundred feet above him.

"Cassian! You're alive!" Luke cried.

"How do I get back there?" Cassian shouted.

"Hold on!" Luke reached out a hand, and suddenly Cassian was flying through the air. He recognized the pull of The Force around him. He dropped over the railing and to his feet. Luke was panting in front of him, Vader's collapsed form a little ways on.

"You killed them both." Cassian leaned heavily on the railing. His hips were in agonizing pain, making it hard for him to stand.

" _Vader_ killed them both." Luke corrected. "He saved my life."

"He what?" Cassian panted.

"My father." Luke said. "He saved my life."

Cassian felt absolutely thunderstruck as he watched Luke go to Vader's side, speaking softly to the masked figure. Luke put an arm around Vader and hauled him to his feet. Vader looked more dead than alive.

"Come on, we need to go." Luke said. "We don't have much time." Cassian limped to him, hands pressed to right hip so he could keep going. To his surprise, Luke threaded a strong arm around his shoulders, holding both Cassian and Vader up with surprising strength. They began to ascend back to the hangar.

* * *

Jyn felt like she was being ripped in two. She couldn't imagine worse pain than what she was feeling now. K-2 was trying to comfort her by telling her the exact positioning of the baby's head as it crowned, but it was hardly helping.

"Shut up!" She screamed at the droid. The pain was intense. Just when she thought she was going to pass out, she suddenly felt a huge release of pressure in her lower half, and another set of screams peppered the air.

Just then, she felt her son blossom into total consciousness. He was threading in and out of The Force, just like when he was in her womb. But now he was really there, and she could see him through her tears.

"It is a boy." K-2 said matter-of-factly. He performed some quick business with cleaning him off and detaching the cord, but then her son was in her arms. He was really there.

"We have less than 8 minutes remaining." K-2 said after the last moments were over and she could pull her undergarments back on, despite the messy state they were in. She tried not to look at the carnage of birth strewn about the floor.

"You'll have to help me. I don't know if I can walk." She felt like she'd been ripped in half and sewn back together very poorly. Weakness was an understatement.

K-2 boosted her to her feet and she moaned in pain. How could she walk all the way back to the shuttle? Her son shifted in her arms, letting out a whimper as the ship shook with internal explosions. Jyn set her lips in a line. For his sake, she had to make it. She began to limp away, K-2 practically carrying them both, the blaster held in his other hand.

* * *

Luke was visibly fatigued by the time the three of them collapsed against a shuttle's empty ramp. Blaster fire arced over their heads, a contingent of storm troopers finally catching up to them as they neared the hangar. They shot wildly, convinced that they were capturing VAder, their leader.

"Keep them busy!" Luke said to Cassian, tossing him a discarded blaster from the nearby floor. Cassian nodded and took cover behind the wing.

"Father..." Luke said.

"I'm dying." Vader said simply. "But before I do, help me look upon you... With my own eyes."

Cassian looked over and saw the helmet whoosh off, Vader's pale and scarred face seen by other human beings for the first time in a very long while. He looked back, distracted by a shot ricocheting off the wing of the shuttle.

A huge explosion rocked the hangar, sending machinery and shrapnel everywhere.

"We have to go!" Cassian yelled at Luke.

"Wait!" Luke replied, pointing. "There! Cover me!"

Cassian at first had no idea what he was pointing at, but he blindly darted out from behind the wing, shooting down two stormtroopers and continuing into the hall outside as Luke began to drag his father's body up the gangway.

"Master Cassian, help!" A familiar voice came from down the hallway.

"K-2?!" He shot down three more troopers in a blaze of fire, then nearly lost his balance as the Death Star lurched sickeningly.

Dodging falling chunks of metal from the ceiling, Cassian sprinted the last few meters to where K-2's voice was begging for help.

Then Cassian stopped cold, feeling like the world was falling out from under him.


	20. Chapter 20

It was like time had stood still. Cassian took the last two stumbling steps and fell to his knees next Jyn, who was lying prone on the floor, a charred blaster mark on the side of her chest. At first, he thought she was dead, but then... _dios mio._ Her eyes fluttered open.

"Jyn..." He choked, tears spilling down his cheeks before he could do anything to stop them. "Jyn..."

"Cassian?" Her eyes widened, then spilled over as well.

Cassian gently took her shoulders and pressed his lips to her forehead, inhaling the smell of her hair. He was overcome. After months and months of searching, he-

Something whimpered, pressed between them. Cassian looked down, his eyes widening as Jyn pulled away the edge of her cloak to reveal the face of her son... _their_ son. He cupped the newborn's smooth head in one palm. He was tiny.

"Jyn..." Cassian said again. He couldn't find words, nothing could explain the feeling in his chest or the emotions threatening to burst out of him.

"Cassian!" Luke's shout came.

"Luke!" Cassian shouted back hoarsely. "Help!"

Luke, Cassian, and K-2 half-carried Jyn to the shuttle. Once aboard, Jyn collapsed to the floor, face deathly pale. Cassian held her to his chest, not speaking, only praying that they weren't too late getting clear of the destructing ship.

"Get us out of here." Luke growled. K-2 immediately set to the controls, getting them in the air and blasting their way out of the hangar.

They were just in time. As they sped away, the Death Star exploded in a cloud of dust and fire. Luke let out an audible sigh.

"We're safe." He said over his shoulder. Cassian and Jyn didn't seem to hear him.

"Look! There's the fleet!" K-2 exclaimed.

"And The Falcon!" Luke cried as the larger ship flew in alongside them.

"Hear that?" Cassian said to Jyn, his fingers wrapped in her hair as she looked up at him, eyes still shining with tears. "We're going home for good."

* * *

Luke was able to hail the Admiral's ship as it made landfall on Endor for docking and medical attention. Jyn was rushed aboard as soon as they landed, Cassian and K-2 in tow. Vader's lifeless body was escorted to the planet's surface for burial by Luke.

Jyn fell unconscious as the doctors set to putting a bacta pack on her blaster wound and stitching up the damage done by the birth. Cassian watched her face relax, hungrily taking in her features like a starving man. He'd pictured the moment of their reunion so many times, and yet... He was unprepared.

He was equally unprepared for the revelation that his son was already a part of the world, having been born on a self-destructing enemy ship just an hour ago.

Cassian crept over to where the baby lay sleeping in the heated crib, tubes and needles ensuring he was getting every nutrient he needed. He was so tiny... so completely fragile.

Cassian slipped a hand into the crib, letting his son latch on to his finger with a surprisingly strong grip. He relaxed, feeling outwards through the now more-familiar Force. And he was there, a little speck of light in front of him, warm and strong. His subconscious tickled Cassian's, reaching out to him curiously. He couldn't even begin to explain the feeling.

"Cassian..." Jyn's soft voice came. Cassian came back to reality, turning to her bed. The doctors had finished up their tasks and were leaving her side.

"Jyn." He sat down at her side, taking her hands. "There are no words to tell you how I'm feeling."

"I know. I know." She whispered. She was crying again. He reached out and wiped a tear from her cheek.

"I have spent hours trying to forgive myself the pain I caused you." Cassian said. "I can't."

"Cassian, I-" He held a finger to her lips.

"Please. Let me finish. I need you to know... How I tried to fix things, how I tried to find you... To say how _sorry_ I-" His throat closed with emotion. Jyn squeezed his hands weakly.

"Bodhi told me once that if you had known, you would have moved stars for me. For us." She said, looking over at the tiny life in the crib beside her.

"I would. God, I would." Cassian swore. "I can't..." He trailed off, fixing her in his dark eyes. They were swirling with emotion, things he was having trouble expressing but he desperately wanted her to understand.

"I know." Jyn said. "I ran because I was scared."

Cassian looked at the woman in the bed beneath him. In spite of the emotional mood, he felt the corners of his mouth lifting in the first smile to grace his face in months. And the tears were back... damn.

"What are you smiling at?!" Jyn looked alarmed.

"Because..." Cassian laughed. "You are the last person in the world I think of as scared."

Jyn laughed weakly in spite of herself. Then her face stilled.

"I thought you were dead." She said softly.

"I know. I know. The Empire did its best. The only thing that could take me away now would be if you asked me to leave." Cassian replied. Jyn shook her head frantically, making one of her monitors beep.

"Shh..." Cassian soothed. "I won't leave you. I promise."

"I want to know what happened. In all this time." Jyn said, but Cassian shook his head.

"There will be time for that later. For now, you need to heal." Jyn nodded, her eyes already fluttering shut. Cassian pressed a kiss to her hand, then got up to check on the baby again.

"Don't leave me..." Jyn's nearly inaudible whisper came.

"Never again." Cassian replied.

* * *

After he was sure Jyn was in a deep sleep and the baby was well cared for, Cassian found he needed some air. He moved around the corridors and finally found an exit hatch. Outside, the sounds of a celebration could be heard echoing off the trees. Bonfires blazed and ewoks danced everywhere, mingling with the heroes of the rebellion. Cassian moved towards them, not wanting to partake but merely watch.

He found Luke next to the funeral pyre of his father, watching it burn to ash. Cassian put a hand on the younger man's shoulder and Luke gave him a small smile in return. Cassian left him to grieve.

He found Leia and Han next, sharing soft words by another fire. Han was touching Leia's cheek and she was laughing at something he'd told her. Han saw him first.

"You're fucking alive!" Han exclaimed. Leia was on her feet and hugging him before he could say anything.

"How is..." She said, trailing off.

"It's a boy." Cassian said, feeling a grin break out on his face.

"How did she know?" Han said, looking dumbfounded.

"I told you..." Leia chided gently. "The Force works in mysterious ways."

"It does indeed if it's keeping this space pilot alive." Han replied. He put his arm around the princess. Cassian held out his hand as a peace offering. Han looked at it for a moment, and then they shook.

"You surprised me, kid. But don't think for a second I don't have my eye on you." Han growled. Cassian nodded and loped off. There was one more person he was hoping to see at the celebration before he went back to the medbay and Jyn.

"Took you long enough." A familiar voice said from behind him. Cassian turned. Bodhi was standing there, a cup of forest wine in one hand. His expression was unreadable.

"It's a baby boy." Cassian said by means of reply. Bodhi nodded, looking down.

"You never told anyone why you left the Rebellion again so soon after I returned." Cassian said. "Now I think I understand."

"You weren't there." Bodhi said. "She needed someone to be."

"Thank you." Cassian said simply, holding out his hand. Bodhi looked taken aback, then slowly approached and shook it. Cassian pulled him in for a hug.

"If you hurt her again, I swear to god..." Bodhi said in his ear. Cassian pulled away, a smile playing at the corners of his eyes.

"Not a chance."


	21. Epilogue

Cassian Andor looked up at the clear sky of Selliyan VI, the twin suns pulsing down warmly on his shoulders in spite of the early winter chill. He leaned heavily on his shovel, a familiar twinge of pain working its way through his hips and lower back, souvenirs of long-ago battle wounds.

"Father." Kelton said from behind him. He turned and smiled as he saw his fifteen-year-old son carrying a bundle of food towards him. After a hard day's work in the fields, nothing was so good as his wife's fresh-baked bread.

Kelton was tall and wiry, sizing up to be even taller than his father soon. He was strong from working the fields, and the best damn pilot Cassian had seen. Him and his younger brother raced skiffs after their chores were done, despite their mother's strong objections.

He reached out and ruffled his son's hair, accepting the offering of bread and cheese.

"Papa!" A sweet voice called out. He turned to see his other son Bodhran carrying his baby sister over the rocky fields, Jyn not far behind, her stomach already swollen with another baby on the way.

"The little ones want to go to the shore." Jyn said. "I told them their father would have the final word."

Cassian leaned in for a kiss, not caring that he had breadcrumbs in his beard. She brushed him off playfully. Jayonn reached out for him and he accepted his daughter into his arms, kissing both cheeks as she squealed.

"What do you think, little one?" He asked her.

"Beach! Beach beach beach!" She shrieked, clapping her tiny hands.

"I think the beach sounds like an excellent idea." He said. Bodhran let out a whoop and began running to the point where their fields began to slope down into sandier terrain. They'd built their homestead near the ocean so they could hear it every night as they lay down to sleep. All of his children had learned to swim as soon as they were able, and they all loved the foamy, chilly water. Cassian along with them.

Jayonn was squirming again, so Cassian set her down. She ran after her big brother, screaming wildly. Cassian watched her go, threading an arm around Jyn's waist. Kelton jogged past them to catch up with the little ones. Though there were almost 10 years between him and the younger two, he accepted his role as their protector and teacher, making sure they did their chores and doting on them when ever he could. He was Bodhran's favorite, and in turn the baby worshipped both her older brothers.

Cassian slowed, leaning down to bury his face in Jyn's neck, kissing her soft skin. It was hardly surprising they had 3 children and another on the way. There had been many years when they were trying to find a peaceful place to escape the aftermath of the Empire while raising a toddler that they thought Jyn wouldn't be able to have any more; the stress of Kelton's birth having placed too much strain on her body. But as soon as they had finished their house on Selliyan VI, they'd discovered Jyn was pregnant again. Cassian couldn't have been happier as she'd given him the news.

"How is she?" Cassian whispered against his wife's neck, reaching out to put a hand on her swollen belly.

"She's happy to be near you." Jyn replied, smiling. Cassian could feel it was true; his sense of The Force grew with every child. When Kelton was only a little one and fell down, Cassian would know immediately if his son were in distress or pain. Jyn was similarly sensitive, but only when concentrating. Luke had nodded thoughtfully when they told him, unsurprised. He thought that The Force flowed through people who had a strong bond to each other.

"Dear little one." Cassian said, leaning down despite the protests in his back so he could kiss Jyn's belly.

"She'll be strong." Jyn said, her eyes set on a point far out on the horizon. Below, they could hear the children's shrieks and cries of happiness as they played in the water.

"Rey." Cassian hummed, feeling his daughter kick out at his hand. Jyn nodded, leaning her head on his shoulder.


End file.
